The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to file a report on the steps taken to enforce the helmet and seat belt rule in the state.
The bench consisting of Justices TS Sivagnanam and Bhavani Subbarayan was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Thursday filed by a resident from Korattur that claimed more than 70% of the accidents happen due to the non-adherence to traffic rules, as per reports.
The bench granted the state government time till July 27 to file a report with details of the steps taken till date and the steps they intend to take in the future, to ensure that all two-wheeler riders including the pillion rider, wear helmets.
Reports also said that the judges sought to know the steps taken so far to ensure that seat belts are being worn by the drivers and the passengers in cars. They also wanted the police to look into the issue of vehicles using high-beam headlights while driving on city roads.
According to a report, the petition also claimed that though the number of road accidents had come down from 4,500 in 2016 to 2,400 in 2017, these accidents must be completely prevented. While the counsel for the government said that steps are being taken for strict enforcement of the law and that people who do not abide by it are being fined heavily, the judges said steps must be taken to bring down the number of accidents to zero.
Reports also quoted Justice Sivagnanam pointing out that the police must first start wearing seat belts and helmets, since not abiding the law themselves sets a wrong example for the public to follow.
Tamil Nadu made it mandatory for two-wheeler riders to wear a helmet from July 1, 2015.