According to sources 28 year old Rohtas Ahlawat, like millions of other two-wheeler riders in India, the choice of helmet is always dictated by its price. It doesn’t matter that his last helmet, also a cheap one, broke into many pieces when he met with an accident in December. “The helmet has to be cheap and in fact, cheaper than traffic challans.
Ahlawat, a medical representative, working in Delhi asks "What’s the
guarantee that a costlier one will save your life?”. Ahlawat recently bought
his second helmet for a paltry Rs 250 from a vendor on Delhi-Meerut highway.
There is a high chance that it is fake, with a fake ISI mark. Top helmet
manufacturers reckon that 75-80% Indians end up buying fake helmets as
they go for lighter, cheaper ones.
According to the United Nations Motorcycle Helmet
Study from 2016, globally, two-wheeler riders are the most vulnerable to
accidents. Motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in a traffic crash
than are car drivers. Wearing an appropriate helmet, the report adds, improves
their chances of survival by 42% and helps avoid 69% of injuries.
