[Video] GoPro on helmet illegal: Police to KTM Duke 390 rider

There have been many instances of cops stopping and harassing the motorcycle riders in India for no reason. Many of the instances have been caught in the camera too. In a recent incident, a KTM 390 Duke owner was stopped by the cops.

What exactly happened?

Muhammad Ismail was stopped by the cops at a barricade. Soon the cops discover a helmet mounted GoPro and become curious. The cop tells the senior about the camera and how everything is being recorded.

The senior police personnel who was sitting inside the police van calls Muhammed and asks him to remove the helmet. Muhammed obliges and hands the helmet to the senior cop who investigates the helmet from all angles. The Kerala cop goes on to say that it is illegal to record or use a camera on a motorcycle. He threatens to issue a challan on the basis of the motorcycle being altered.

The cops then ask him to repeatedly turn off his camera. After some argument, the cops issue a challan for not having rear view mirrors on his motorcycle instead of the camera.

Use of camera on road

It is not illegal by law to use the camera on the dashboard or your helmet in India. However, using the camera to record around sensitive areas like military installations or cantonments can cause big trouble. Use of camera on the roads can help you with insurance if anything wrong goes on the road. It is advisable to use dashboard camera and helmet-mounted camera in India to record any incidents that may happen on the road.

What to do in such situations?

It may sound ironical but if you see a police check post ahead, follow these steps to be safe.

• Slow down; cops do not become aggressive if you slow down while approaching a check post.
• If the cop takes out the key from the motorcycle, immediately pull the clutch. It will keep your motorcycle in motion.
• Park on the side of the road while showing the documents.
• Always know to rules of showing documents. For example, no one below Sub Inspector can check your documents or challan you more than Rs. 100.
• Moreover, cops cannot stop you to check documents as a Supreme Court order has clearly asked them to refrain from doing so. You can show the cops the Supreme Court order in case you get flagged down.