Following the arrest and subsequent suspension of the licence of vlogger and motorbike racer T.T.F. Vasan alias Vaikunthavasan, 23, the Tamil Nadu police have decided to crack the whip on bikers who promote unsafe riding on public roads.
The police have come out with a list of 92 such bikers across the State, who have a large following on social media platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
A. Arun, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, said the police would take appropriate action against them for violation of road rules.
“The major concern is that they ride motorcycles in a way that endangers the lives of others,” he said in Coimbatore. The police have collected videos posted by these vloggers, which will act as evidence against them.
When Vasan was arrested by the Baluchetty Chatram police in the Kancheepuram on September 19, 2023, the police pressed charges under Sections 279 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide) of Indian Penal Code read with section 184 (Dangerous Driving) and other provisions of Motor Vehicle Act against him. The vlogger-cum-racer was thrown off his motorcycle while performing a wheelie on the service road of Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway near Vellore on September 17.
The other main concern of the police is the large fan following for these vloggers who post videos of bike stunts and indulge in negligent riding. For instance, Vasan has over 4 million subscribers on YouTube. These followers or subscribers, a majority of whom are teenagers and youngsters in their 20s, tend to imitate such stunts and rash riding on public roads.
Also, the police have come across many incidents, wherein youngsters put tremendous pressure on parents to get motorcycles as soon as they turn 18 and get a driving licence.
Following the arrest of Vasan, the Licensing Authority-cum-Regional Transport Officer, Kancheepuram, cancelled his driving licence on October 7. He was granted bail by the Madras High Court on November 1.
