Police in favour of helmets for women

If Delhi Police had their way, they would soon become compulsory for women in Delhi driving or riding pillion on a two-wheeler to wear helmets. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the views of the Delhi transport department on the police’s plan to amend the Delhi Motor Vehicle (DMV) Rules. According to the rule, helmets are “optional” for women.

If Delhi Police had their way, they would soon become compulsory for women in Delhi driving or riding pillion on a two-wheeler to wear helmets. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the views of the Delhi transport department on the police’s plan to amend the Delhi Motor Vehicle (DMV) Rules. According to the rule, helmets are “optional” for women.

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Responding to a PIL which demanded that helmets be made compulsory for women, the government filed an affidavit, saying it supported this view as accidents posed a threat to women just as much as they did to men.

Citing traffic police figures that more than 100 women die in accidents while riding or travelling in two-wheelers every year, petitioner PR Ulhas said in the PIL: “Are women’s lives less valuable than men’s? If not, then why is wearing helmets compulsory for men driving two-wheelers, while it is only “optional” for women…?”

The court order comes three months after Satyendra Garg, joint commissioner of police (traffic), posted on Facebook that helmets should be made compulsory for women too.
Garg had said: “This year, there have been 37 female casualties while travelling on two-wheelers till June 30. We are of the opinion that if these women were wearing helmets, many of them could have survived.”