Udupi: Motorists riding two-wheelers without helmets and getting involved in accidents will not be eligible for insurance henceforth, senior civil judge and member secretary, district legal services authority Latha said here on Wednesday.
Of late, even the educated and literate tend not to wear helmets designed primarily for safety of two-wheeler riders just for fun or thrill.
Nationally, 900 people die in road accidents every year primarily due to this very reason, she said.
Inaugurating an awareness programme on wearing helmets at Nutan Ravindra Mantap of M G M College, Latha rued the fact that most motorists wear helmets from the fear of getting persecuted by the police and not out of conviction that it helps save lives in the eventuality of an accident.
Instead people must realize that wearing helmets is in their own interest, Latha said, adding that motorists not wearing helmets will be ineligible to receive insurance claims.
Earlier, Venkatesh Naik, principal district and session’s judge inaugurated the awareness jatha with police personnel riding their two-wheelers wearing helmets fitted with face guards and not the department issue half-helmets.
Lakshman Nimbargi, superintendent of police, was present on this occasion. Kumar Chandra, additional superintendent of police, Sandhya Nambiar, principal, MGM, Nishanth B Bhat, president, Manipal Auto Club were present at the programme.