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NEW DELHI: The Delhi administration has now made it mandatory for the women to wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler or even while sitting as a pillion. This order has come in the form of an amendment to the existing Rule 115 of Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules 1993. The transport department came out with a gazette notification that makes helmets mandatory for women.
However, there is a big catch in this. The sikh women have been exempted from this on religious grounds. Though as of now they don't have any mechanism to differentiate a sikh women from the non-sikh one. Delhi police says they'll ask transport department to tell them a solution for this issue.
This change was implemented after the transport department moved an application for the same in the wake of increasing number of accidents involving two-wheelers. The application said that in 2012, a total number of 35,767 people were killed on two-wheelers related road accidents in India, most of them were women.
The application says that this is the "highest amongst all road user categories at 25.9% of total road accident fatalities." In Delhi alone, 576 two-wheeler riders lost their lives during 2012. Unsurprisingly, head injury caused not wearing the helmet while riding the two-wheeler was the leading cause of fatalities in these accidents.
This move was given a green signal by the Delhi L-G, Najeeb Jung, more than a month ago. Times of India newspaper quoted a transport department official saying, "79 representations and objections were received by the department after the public notice came out. Following this, the L-G considered the religious sentiments of Sikhs as stated in their objections and made wearing of helmets for Sikh women optional." Incidentally, during the suggestions and objections process, some Muslim groups had also demanded the same relief for burqa-clad women riding pillion.
However, there is a big catch in this. The sikh women have been exempted from this on religious grounds. Though as of now they don't have any mechanism to differentiate a sikh women from the non-sikh one. Delhi police says they'll ask transport department to tell them a solution for this issue.
This change was implemented after the transport department moved an application for the same in the wake of increasing number of accidents involving two-wheelers. The application said that in 2012, a total number of 35,767 people were killed on two-wheelers related road accidents in India, most of them were women.
The application says that this is the "highest amongst all road user categories at 25.9% of total road accident fatalities." In Delhi alone, 576 two-wheeler riders lost their lives during 2012. Unsurprisingly, head injury caused not wearing the helmet while riding the two-wheeler was the leading cause of fatalities in these accidents.
This move was given a green signal by the Delhi L-G, Najeeb Jung, more than a month ago. Times of India newspaper quoted a transport department official saying, "79 representations and objections were received by the department after the public notice came out. Following this, the L-G considered the religious sentiments of Sikhs as stated in their objections and made wearing of helmets for Sikh women optional." Incidentally, during the suggestions and objections process, some Muslim groups had also demanded the same relief for burqa-clad women riding pillion.
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