Road Safety Week: Sattari says ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’

Panaji: Petrol pumps across Sattari taluka have adopted the ‘No Helmet, No Fuel’ policy for the ongoing State Road Safety Week, from Oct 14 to 20. This initiative encourages riders to wear helmets to reduce the risk of fatal injuries in accidents. Transport director Pravimal Abhishek said the initiative is not an enforcement order, but an advisory to raise awareness about helmet use. “The advisory has been issued by the district magistrate to petrol pumps,” he told TOI.

Statistics from Goa police reveal that last year, one helmetless rider died on the state’s roads every three days. From Jan 2021 to Dec 2023, 541 two-wheeler riders lost their lives in accidents, with 357 — approximately 66% — not wearing helmets. TOI reported on Sep 2 that over 350 persons who died in two-wheeler accidents from 2021 to 2023 were not wearing helmets, which accounts for two-thirds of all deaths in crashes involving two-wheelers.

For the Road Safety Week, the directorate of transport has allocated funds for community engagement. Each village panchayat and municipality will receive Rs 10,000 to organise road safety activities. to spread awareness among students and residents. The activities will be managed by the newly constituted Road Safety Traffic Management Committees at the village and municipal levels.

The collaboration between local authorities and the transport department seeks to engage the community in stressing the importance of helmet use and safe driving practices.