KUCHING: Police statistics reveal that about 1,000 children are killed yearly in road accidents as a result of not wearing proper safety helmets.
A recent survey showed only 3 percent of children wear the right size or standard child helmet when riding motorbikes and 37 percent of them use adult helmets which do not give them protection in a crash.
And to make matters worse nearly 25 percent of children do not use helmets while riding motorcycles.
These are children mostly aged 12 years and below as can be seen in the left photo below.
Obviously the man, presumably the father, had thrown caution to the wind when taking the kids to school here, yesterday.
The least he could have done was to make efforts to borrow two helmets for the kids if he couldn’t afford to buy them.
Hopefully, the man will be more responsible next time around. If he is still adamant, it’s about time the police give him a ticket.
Schools should play a role to remind their pupils on the importance of using a safety helmet. Once they start instilling its importance from young, it will be a culture.
Parents have several excuses for not having their children wear helmets. The authorities should strictly enforce existing laws.
Traffic police should pull over and fine people carrying children, in front or riding pillion. Perhaps, these children should also be fined.
Maybe on-the-spot fines might hit the spot.
The offending parents should be made to cough up a heavy fine and the students should be made to face a deduction of marks from their annual report cards.
