The Greek government will tighten regulations for the country's motorcyclists, who will no longer be able to buy gasoline if they are not wearing a crash helmet.
The Greek government will introduce a ban on selling gasoline to motorcyclists who ride without helmets. The proposal comes from the country's Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis, who is himself a motorcyclist.
Georgiadis has participated in a television campaign promoting helmet use. But the minister will now take more drastic measures.
He has therefore proposed a new approach to local gas station owners around the country: They should refuse to sell gasoline to motorcyclists without helmets, a group that makes up the majority of motorcyclists in Greece.
The proposal has met with opposition from some gas station owners who believe it is unfair to place the responsibility of enforcing the law on them.
Gas station owners are also concerned about the potential fines they could face if they are caught selling gasoline to motorcyclists without helmets.
This is written by Keep Talking Greece .
However, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos has already drafted a bill to be submitted to the Greek Parliament for consideration. If passed, the bill will become part of Greece's new road traffic law.
Motorcyclists without helmets will no longer be able to buy gas at gas stations. This will force them to either comply with the law or park their motorcycles permanently. Unless, of course, they choose to switch to an electric scooter.
Theodorikakos has stated that "motorcyclists are usually young people at an age where they feel immortal".
He calls on the other members of parliament to support the initiative and the bill, and he also emphasizes the government's commitment to reducing the number of accidents and deaths.
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that most countries have laws requiring motorcyclists and passengers to wear helmets. Greece is no exception. At least not on paper. But enforcement of the law is lacking. Especially in urban areas, Greek media write.
Head injuries are a frequent result of traffic accidents. Head injuries can lead to permanent disability or worse – death.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), helmet use is mandatory for all motorcyclists in about half of the U.S. states. In most other states, only younger riders are required to wear helmets.
If you want to ride without a helmet, you have to go across the Atlantic. On the other hand, there are three states in the USA; Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire that do not require the use of a crash helmet at all. Here in Denmark, it was possible for many years to be exempt from riding with a crash helmet.
However, the rules were changed on January 1, 2019. And since then it has been illegal to ride without a helmet. However, the medical certificates that had already been issued to motorcyclists only became invalid on July 1 of the same year.
