Common sense has finally prevailed in Delhi, where women riding two-wheelers will soon be required by law to wear helmets, the same as men. It is a step up from the retrograde argument the Sheila Dixit government had accepted, that Sikh women transgressed their faith by donning helmets.
While there is a strong argument for making helmets compulsory for men, women need them even more. In India, women who ride pillion vastly outnumber women who drive, and pillion riders are far more likely to suffer serious injury than those driving. Sadly, Indians have proven to be numbskulls on the helmet question. Despite over two decades of advocacy, the motorcycle helmet is still not seen as a safety device. It is not insurance against a broken head, but merely insurance against a traffic fine. Avoidance is wind-in-the-hair bravado, an expression of libertarian individualism. Also, an expression of extreme idiocy since, if the libertarian unexpectedly collides with another vehicle, its driver would probably be looking at a case of death due to negligent driving. With a helmet on, the libertarian’s survival would be much likelier.
