NASHIK: In a week’s time, Nashik Rural police have slapped over 3,600 bikers with a fine of over Rs 18 lakh for not wearing helmet while riding two wheelers. Apart from challaning bikers, police has also challaned over 3,000 others for violating traffic rules.From February 1, rural police launched an extensive drive across the district against bikers without helmet. All 40 police stations are involved in the drive.Senior police officials said police stations like Chandwad , Igatpuri, Ghoti, etc which have the Mumbai-Agra Highway passing through their jurisdictions, have challaned maximum bikers who were found riding without using helmet.Of the 3,676 challan issued to bikers without helmet by the police, Chandwad police has issued a maximum 221 challans, followed by 193 by Ghoti police and 177 by Igatpuri police.Rural police said that their aim was to bring down road fatalities on rural roads and highways. The largest numbers of people dying in road accidents were bikers without a helmet.Police said those riding two-wheelers in rural areas were not serious about wearing helmets and this caused a rising number of people dying on highways. That was why this drive was initiated, police said.Senior police officials said that ahead of the drive they had spread huge awareness in different parts of the rural district and the response they were getting from the people about the compulsion of helmet was overwhelming. Police said a number of motorists and senior citizens appreciated concern of the police department over the large number of fatalities in road accidents.

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