ISLAMABAD - City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi has launched a ‘helmet wearing campaign’ to make motorbike riders aware about road ethics and to encourage them to follow traffic rules. Chief Traffic Officer Rawalpindi Muhammad Bin Ashraf while talking to PTV news on Sunday, urged the bikers to use helmets to avoid fatal accidents.

The traffic police would impose fine on bikers sans helmets besides impounding their motorbikes after December 31, as wearing a helmet could save a driver’s life in case of an accident. He said that the purpose of this campaign was to ensure the safety of motorcyclists and prevent any road mishap by educating them about a safe road environment. He added that defective lights, indicators or other equipment of thousands of motorcycles had been repaired during this campaign. He also said that motorcyclists, who would be caught driving faulty bikes without helmets, would have to face action from now onwards. He added that fine tickets were issued not as a punitive measure but to turn citizens into more law-abiding citizens and to ensure safety of road users.

Chief Traffic Officer Rawalpindi Muhammad Bin Ashraf said that during this awareness drive thousands of road users would be educated to follow traffic rules and minimize the accident ratio. He emphasized that it is important for motorcyclists to understand the risks of riding without a helmet.  Riders who do not wear helmets are at a risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury if they are in an accident. Without protection, the head is vulnerable to a traumatic impact in an accident even when traveling at low speeds, he mentioned. “All traffic wardens will participate in the crackdown and those found violating the rules will not be spared at any cost”, he said. Replying to a question he said, “Separate counters for females in traffic license office will also be established soon to facilitate visitors.”