Pune: In an effort to reduce road accidents and fatalities, the Maharashtra Traffic Police have announced stricter enforcement of helmet rules for two-wheeler riders and their pillion passengers.

The Additional Director General of Police (Traffic) has issued a circular instructing all police commissioners and district superintendents to penalize helmetless pillion passengers, along with riders.

This decision comes in response to a notable increase in accidents, deaths, and injuries involving two-wheeler users not wearing helmets.

The directive, issued immediately after the assembly elections, aims to curb these incidents by ensuring stricter compliance with traffic laws.

Previously, traffic police focused solely on penalizing helmetless riders. However, the latest move mandates action against pillion passengers as well.

To facilitate this, modifications have been made to the e-challan machines, allowing officers to issue fines specifically to pillion riders.

In Pune city, around 4,000 cases of helmet violations are registered daily, many identified through CCTV surveillance. However, the number of violators paying fines remains low.

To address this issue, cases of unpaid fines are being referred to Lok Adalats, where most defaulters eventually settle their dues.

The directive also highlights a review of road accidents over the past five years, which revealed that a lack of helmet use by riders and pillion passengers significantly contributes to fatalities and injuries.

Police have been instructed to ensure effective implementation of penalties as per the Motor Vehicles Act.