Delhi to make helmets must for women

Women travelling on two-wheelers in the city may soon have to wear a helmet by law. The transport department has proposed to amend the law that exempts them from wearing protective gear after a direction from Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung last month.

The exemption had been granted on religious grounds after protests by Sikh women. Later, in the wake of increasing road fatalities involving women, the Sheila Dikshit government continued to resist attempts to make helmets mandatory. The transport department has now proposed to amend rule 115 of the Act, which allows this exemption.

A proposal making it mandatory for women travelling on two-wheelers to wear helmets has been sent to the Election Commission for approval, pending which the transport department will come out with a notification. A month after the notification, the rule will become applicable, said sources.

Official said helmets were being made mandatory for all women two-wheeler riders because of safety concerns. "Though the exemption had been allowed for Sikh men and women, there have been reports of increasing number of accidents where women were injured or died due to not wearing a helmet," the official said.

The issue had also come in the Delhi high court last year where the government said it did not intend to change the law in deference to religious sentiments.

The new policy cites the increasing number of two-wheeler accidents taking place, as high as two riders dying every day. It goes on to say that wearing helmets will help save lives. Senior officials said that the move also comes after recommendations of the Delhi Commission for Women as well as the traffic police, which cited data that showed 63 women had died in two-wheeler accidents in 2013, up from 42 the previous year.
According to department officials, head injuries are the major cause of death, injury and disability. "Many of these head injuries could have been prevented or their severity reduced through the use of helmets," added the official. The ministry of road transport and highways had two months ago also written to the L-G, recommending that Delhi do away with the exemption to women on wearing helmets.

Said Delhi transport commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, "The policy has been sent to the Election Commission for approval. Once the notification comes out, a month will be given to people to come up with suggestions and objections. We will implement the policy only after due process."