The dangerous practice of holding umbrellas open while riding two-wheelers is yet to be taken seriously by riders despite repeated checking and warning by the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) in Kozhikode.
Officers with the road safety enforcement squads reveal that women and children are the majority who ride pillion and fall victims to accidents.
“There has been a special instruction from the State Transport Commissioner to carry out intensive checking against this dangerous practice and make riders aware of its consequences. Since many have been found repeating the offence, we have started imposing a fine,” said an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector now part of the checking squad. He said those riding pillion with their umbrellas open were also found creating safety hazards for others on the road.
According to MVD officers, the thoughtless use of umbrellas instead of safer rain coats has been on the rise since the onset of monsoon and reopening of schools. Though many of such riders know the risk and the huge visibility hurdle it creates for other motorists, there is no let-up in such acts in the city, they said.
A Motor Vehicle Inspector attached to the Road Safety squad said even the educated professionals were found ignorant of the non-aerodynamic designs of the umbrellas and the “parachute effect” it creates while holding it against the wind. “Many of them keep umbrellas just to save the expenses of buying raincoats,” he said.
Like the MVD squad, the police have also started intensifying their surprise inspections on the national and State highways against the reckless use of umbrellas. In most of the cases, no fines are imposed as parents admit their mistakes and promise to cope with the safety instruction, they said.
