Delhi Police uses Mathews’ timed out incident to spread awareness about helmets

Angelo Mathews' timed out dismissal has created much conversation across social media, and Delhi Police took this opportunity to get across an important point on their Facebook page.

On Tuesday, the day after Shakib Al Hasan invoked the first ever instance of a "timed out" dismissal in the history of international cricket in Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium, a picture was posted from Delhi Police's Facebook page. It featured Angelo Mathews in the aftermath of his dismissal, looking distraught and gesturing that his helmet strap had broken. A message was placed on the image that said, "A good helmet can protect you from being timed out". 

The message was posted in reference to the high number of road accidents in Delhi in recent years. According to Delhi Traffic Police, there has been a 4 percent increase in fatal traffic accidents from 2019 to 2023. In a separate report from 2021, it was said that motorcycle and scooter riders were the second most vulnerable group among those killed in traffic accidents in Delhi. It is widely accepted that wearing helmets reduces the risk of severe head injuries among motorcycle riders.

The State Transport Authority of Odisha made a similar post the day before, encouraging riders to wear helmets and secure the strap to play a long innings without running the risk of losing a wicket.