BJD India Helps Drive Helmet Law

After nearly a decade contemplating it, the government of India has made a definitive move to make helmet use for motorcycles and other 2-wheeled vehicles mandatory. This firm move comes as a result of awareness campaigns by several prominent agencies including BJD-NAN-India, the Indian Automobile Association and the Neurological Society of India.

As part of their campaign, the BJD-NAN-India endorsed a resolution which clearly laid out their support of the enactment and enforcement of compulsory helmet use laws for motorised two-wheeler riders in all states of India.

Professor Dinesh Mohan, former NAN Coordinator, and current Head of the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme, New Delhi, said: “Two-wheeler crashes contribute a significant proportion of road traffic fatalities and injuries in India. Compared with cars, motorcycles are especially dangerous. Per km travelled, the number of deaths on motorcycles is 15 times greater than the number in cars. Motorcycles today have excessive performance capabilities, including especially rapid acceleration and high top speeds. They're less stable than cars in emergency braking and less visible. Motorcyclists are more prone to crash injuries than car drivers because motorcycles are unenclosed, leaving the rider vulnerable to contact hard road surfaces. This is why wearing a helmet is crucial.”

Background
The scientific evidence is overwhelming that helmets are very effective in reducing severe head injuries in motorcycle crashes, and that compulsory helmet use laws are essential to ensure that all riders use helmets. The World Health Organization’s report on traffic injury prevention provides evidence that compulsory helmet use by motorized two-wheeler riders can reduce head injuries by 33 % and fatalities by 56 %. Average hospital stays also declined by nearly 15 %.

Two-wheelers account for an overwhelming proportion of vehicles on Indian roads. According to a study done by the World Health Organization (WHO), deaths caused by road accidents, estimated to be 40,000 in 1986, more than doubled in 2001. Significantly, two thirds of these deaths occurred in the 16-44 age group. According to data gathered by the Department of Road Transport and Highways, the number of deaths in 2004 from road accidents was 93,000 and in addition 465,000 people were injured.

For more information, please contact Professor Dinesh Mohan, Co-ordinator of the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme at the Indian Institute of Technology. E-mail: [email protected]
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

BJD India helmet resolution.pdf