Why are people so fascinated about riding a motorcycle without a helmet?

Is the
film industry a major contributor to this tendency?

There is no doubt riding a motorcycle is a thrilling affair, but along with it comes speed and
with speed comes safety and responsibility. Road accidents are a major public health and
development crisis for countries that are in the process of modernization. Motorcyclists are at
high risk of injuries of the head, neck, face and brain. Helmets are one of the basic forms of
protection that a rider has. Wearing a helmet is mandatory in many parts of the country, but
unfortunately many citizens fail to comply with this rule. We see motorcycle riders going up
to 70 or 80 Km per hour with absolutely nothing on their heads but their hair. It sure looks
cool and nice, to feel the breeze in your hair and face. But one can never come to imagine
what would happen if there is an unfortunate accident of a bicycle and the rider's head hits the
ground without protection, or their faces slip into that asphalt. Motorcycles accidents are
considerable causes of injury-related to fatality and disability. Head injuries are one of the
most common injuries after and are said to be the cause of most deaths and long-term
disabilities.

There is a high proportion of motorcycle accident victims who are either killed or injured in
road traffic accidents in India. The influence of the film industry also plays a major role in
shaping the mindset of people. Movies leave a greater impact on them and hence they follow
the same techniques that they see. The Tom Cruise starrer Mission Impossible is a clear
example of how people are influenced by seeing their favorite actor doing stunts without any
safety and precautions. They just see Tom Cruise racing down the streets of Berlin chasing
his enemy on a bike without any helmet or safety gear. Same goes with Sooryavanshi, an
upcoming Indian Hindi-language action film starring Akshay Kumar. He can also be seen
chasing criminals on a bike without wearing a helmet. People here usually forget the fact that
the high speeding rides and bike stunts shown in the movie are supervised by a director. They
ignore the fact that it is a movie. Hence are unable to distinguish the difference between reel
life and real life, which the most important aspect of this whole idea. Somewhere they are
motivated by watching all these adventures and are hell-bent on implementing it in their life
as well.
According to global status report, more than two lakh people die in road accidents every year
in India and the rate of motorcycle is 40 times higher death rate compared to other vehicle
accidents. These deaths and injuries of motorcyclists are affecting every part of Indian
society. Road traffic accidents are a growing health and development concern, which affects
the country and contributes to economic losses for victims, their families and the entire
country. People don’t want to focus on what can go wrong when one rides, but it is certainly
important to take precautions and use our common sense. Because you only have one head,
so it’s best to protect it. I stand by the side of states requiring riders to wear helmets. The law
is the only way one can make us do it even when we don’t want to. Sometimes people just
don’t exercise good judgment and in a case like this, the law should do it for those who
don’t.

Suzuki Motorcycle India has kick-started its helmet awareness campaign, ‘#HelmetForLife’
in a bid to spread awareness regarding the importance of wearing helmets.
A young professional driver recently took to the streets of India to promote the use of
standard helmets. Rider MS Pooja Yadav, an expert on two wheels of the motorcycle, has
joined the Tracks, a national road safety NGO based in Delhi, India. Her goal is to travel
across India, meet with decision-makers and NGO leaders at strategic stop-offs, and raise
awareness among people at events.

Providing a helmet may be important, but it will not be sufficient to achieve high rates of
helmet users among adult cyclists. Integrated and recurrent prevention programs will be
required, free provision of helmets should be included along with information on the use of
helmets and strategies to increase peer and parental pressure.

https://www.bikedekho.com/news/suzuki-organises-helmet-for-life-safety-campaign-in-india

https://www.academia.edu/7587544/Effects_of_Use_Helmet_Campaign_and_Helmet_Laws_on_He
lmet_Use_among_College_Students_in_India

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276706/