47000 estimated deaths in 2021 in India due to not wearing helmet

Former FIA President and Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal, Jean Todt, recently shared data on Twitter about accidents in India. In his post, he said that wearing helmets is mandatory in the country. But not wearing safety helmets led to the death of about 47 thousand people in 2021. Todt’s post is related to the data of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India, which shows that more than 63 thousand lives have been lost in the country due to not wearing seat belts in cars and not wearing safety helmets on two-wheelers.

Whereas Todt’s Post An estimated 47,000 deaths have been reported in India in 2021 due to not wearing helmets. MoRTH data shows that the actual number is slightly less than this, 46,593. This included both riders and pillion riders without helmets. A total of 13,700 of those who died were pillion riders who were not wearing helmets at the time of the accident. According to WHO data, wearing helmets can reduce brain injuries in two-wheeler riders by up to 74 percent.

According to MoRTH data, speeding is the second leading cause of deaths on Indian roads with 40,450 deaths in 2021. Not wearing a seat belt is the third leading cause of road accident-related deaths in the country. Of the 19,800 seat-belt-related deaths, about 83 percent (16,397) victims were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident. Of the 16,397 victims, 8 thousand were passengers who were not wearing a seatbelt. This shows the benefit of safety devices for all passengers inside the vehicle.

Wearing a helmet can provide a lot of protection, however, it is important to note that the safety helmet you wear is ISI-certified and complies with the government-approved crash protection standard. There are more expensive DOT and ECE certified helmets available in the market but they will not be considered valid by the authorities. Apart from this, the helmet you are buying should fit you. Apart from that, it is also important to tie the helmet after wearing it. This is very important for the helmet to function properly in case of an accident. Experts recommend buying a double-D ring style locking system. Wearing a helmet without a strap is not safe at all.