Ensure Our Road Safety Advocacy Campaign Of 135,000 Free Helmets Does Not Go To Waste

Without doubt, crash helmets have a certain lifespan. No matter how expensive or good quality your helmet is, it has to be replaced some day.

But believe it or not, replacing a helmet is not an easy thing. Especially, to a motorcycle rider.

The straps of a helmet break can under wear and tear. Buckles tend to get spoilt. The helmet itself, being made of plastic can be come brittle.

So as mentioned earlier, there comes a time when one has to contemplate replacing the helmet. Wearing a helmet, a “worn down” helmet is the same as not wearing one at all.

The government recent Road Safety Advocacy Campaign, launched since the past 18 months ago, has 135,000 crash helmets of motorcyclist being replaced Free with SIRIM certified ones.

Whether you agree or disagree with the above campaign or not is not the question. Has the authorities done the correct thing?

Personally, if you were to ask my opinion, I would certainly say it has.

Certainly, a SIRIM certified helmet is no cheap thing. It can cost anything from RM50 – RM75 per helmet.

135,000 of them is no small amount.

But as the government or authorities realize, as the majority of accidents taking place in our country today involves motorcyclists, it has very little alternative but to take steps to correct the issue.

Hopefully, with the issuance of 135,000 free helmets, some lives may be saved. Even, being successful to save one single motorcyclist’s life is a success in itself.

But as some readers and the public have advocated, this is not enough.

We have to reiterate to the motorcyclists, that safety is of utmost importance.

Crash helmets have to be tied properly and securely. Not securing your helmet correctly is not about to save you. Nor speeding excessively at 150 km/h too.

As suggested by many, there should be strict monitoring by both the Road Transport Department and the Police that helmets are worn correctly.

Thus not doing so, should be penalized.

Besides the above, the time has now come for drastic measures to be taken by the authorities to summon those guilty.

If not, the issuing of 135,000 free helmets to the motorcyclists in the recent Road Safety Advocacy would have gone to naught.

As the popular Malay proverb reiterates, “Umpama buang garam ke dalam laut”.

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