Bengaluru traffic cops link helmet use to ignition, ride ‘TheGoodRoad.in’

Bengaluru Traffic Police have initiated a product innovation conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather to promote the use of helmets by those riding two-wheelers. The initiative is being supported by Castrol India.

The innovation involves use of technology to link the helmet with the bike’s ignition system. Unless the user wears the helmet, the bike will not start. Touch sensors placed inside the helmet allow the system to detect if the user has worn the helmet (merely holding it will not suffice). Technical details are at thegoodroad.in. The total cost of each unit will be under Rs 1,000 and users have started buying it already, informed Joono Simon, ECD - South, Ogilvy & Mather.

“This is an example of persuasive technology making a behavioural difference among the youth who are in general averse to change when it is dictated to them. It once again underlines that a great idea amplified by technology can make a big difference where everything else has failed. From the advertising industry point of view, this is a great case of a mainstream agency adapting itself to the new age and providing a solution that is beyond the conventional," explained Simon.

The idea has taken about two years since inception to bear fruit. The intent is to scale the idea and make the helmets using this technology available off the shelves when people buy two-wheelers, he added.

An online promotional campaign is about to kick off.