A threat comes true! Gas station workers and owners will be prohibited from selling gas to motorcyclists who do not wear helmets, according to a regulation that was tabled in the Greek Parliament on Thursday.
The initiative was prompted by the death of a young motorcycle rider on Crete and the initiative by a gas station owner there that he will refuse service to motorcyclists without a helmet. The initiative of the local gas station owner soon became a campaign. (KTG reported about it HERE!)
Soon, the Health Minister joined the new movement and proposed that it will become a law. Also the federation of gas station owners agreed.
The relevant amendment has been drawn up by the Development ministry and will be appended to the new Traffic Code to be tabled in Parliament soon by the Transport Ministry.
“There is nothing more important than human life and health, than protecting young people. Because most people driving are mainly young men at an age where they feel invincible. We must do everything we can to save human lives, that is why we responded immediately,” Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos told the Parliament committee in charge.
Addressing the committee were also doctors of KAT accident hospital and the emergency ambulance service EKAV. KAT governor Yiannis Iliopoulos in particular said the hospital handled 87,000 emergency cases annually, of which the average number of traffic accident victims totals 3,200. Of the latter, 7%-10% have serious multiple injuries, and of these 60% has to be hospitalized at intensive care units, then spend nearly 5.5 months in rehabilitation.
Intensive-care physician Spyros Papanikolaou who serves on the EKAV board noted that the service receives 1,000-1,100 calls per day, of which 250-300 relate to traffic accidents. Of the latter, 5% involve serious injuries (particularly in the head), and if they survive, over 70% have an 80% loss of function. He also underlined the problematic and widespread lack of helmets by motorcycle drivers on Greek islands, stating that “driving without a helmet is suicidal.”
Bravo. Never understood why some Greek men felt it was a bit sissy to wear a helmet .
in switzerland, where it’s self-service and payment by card, totally unimaginable. on the other hand, i can’t see my nice little garage owner facing a bunch of hells angels without helmet…