New Delhi, After three months of on-ground activation, to sensitize people about the importance of wearing helmets while riding two-wheeler, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL), a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading two-wheeler manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan; successfully concluded the its helmet awareness campaign – ‘#HelmetForLife’ in a country.
With increase in deaths due to riding without helmet, the initiative was targeted at promoting both rider and pillion rider safety. The campaign kick-started in June and was activated in 15 cities over a period of three months to spread the message of helmet safety and bring about behavioural change among riders. Suzuki’s ‘HelmetForLife’ campaign was organised in partnership with the traffic police brigade of 15 cities namely Gurugram, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Surat, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Dehradun, Calicut, Pune, Nagpur, Vijayawada and Kolkata.
Concluding the campaign successfully , Mr Satoshi Uchida, Managing Director, SMIPL said, “Two-wheelers are a preferred mode of commuting among urban and rural population in India at the same time accounting for maximum fatalities due to helmet-less riding. The initiative was taken to help people inculcate the habit of wearing helmet even for the pillion riders. At Suzuki, offering high quality products, great riding experience and ensuring rider safety is at utmost priority and this campaign reiterates our commitment. We are thankful to Traffic Police officials and authorities whose support has been instrumental in making this campaign a huge success.”
Mr. Sajeev Rajasekharan, Executive Vice President, SMIPL said, “Through #HelmetForLife campaign and with the support of Traffic Police officials, we have been able to spread the message of safe riding to maximum number of riders across cities. We are grateful to every individual who has supported us in making this campaign a successful. Where we understand that complete behaviour change might take time to take place, however, we hope to see some changes in rider’s attitude towards their own safety.”
During this campaign, Suzuki volunteers and traffic police personnel distributed helmets at the busiest traffic signals to those riders and pillions on a two-wheeler, who were issued a challan by the traffic-police for riding without a helmet. Under the #HelmetForLife campaign, Suzuki Motorcycle India has distributed 65 Gixxer motorcycles which are customised to the traffic-authorities’ requirements and more than 13000 helmets, across 15-cities, to both riders and pillions riding without helmet.
The 65 Suzuki motorcycles being “Given “ to the various police forces, should all be fitted with a sensor — so that the bike only starts when the potential rider is wearing a helmet.
I think it makes very good rational, logical, sense, that a policeman wearing a helmet, will have a greater “ positive “ impact when attempting to educate riders, about the merits of wearing a helmet.