Skip to main content

India road safety aim to save lives

A study produced by the United Nations reveals the high risk of motorcycling in India. In 2015 the country had 36,800 motorcyclists killed on its roads, with a further 93,400 being injured. However the UN’s study reveals that the fatality rate for India’s motorcyclists could be cut by as much as 42%, if helmet wearing was mandatory. Compulsory helmet use by India’s motorcycle riders would save around 15,000 needless deaths/year, while cutting serious head injuries by around 69%. The UN Motorcycle Helmet Stu
November 29, 2016 Read time: 1 min
A study produced by the United Nations reveals the high risk of motorcycling in India. In 2015 the country had 36,800 motorcyclists killed on its roads, with a further 93,400 being injured. However the UN’s study reveals that the fatality rate for India’s motorcyclists could be cut by as much as 42%, if helmet wearing was mandatory. Compulsory helmet use by India’s motorcycle riders would save around 15,000 needless deaths/year, while cutting serious head injuries by around 69%. The UN Motorcycle Helmet Study points out that motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to be killed in a road crash than car occupants.

Related Content

  • Safety plan for India’s powered two wheeler riders
    July 3, 2012
    Highway sector experts in India are calling for tougher enforcement on helmet use, to boost safety standards for powered two wheeler riders. The country’s accident statistics show worryingly high levels of deaths and injuries for powered two wheeler riders. India is the world’s second largest producer of two-wheelers and these constitute nearly 70% of the country’s registered vehicles. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), some 28,234 persons (21.1%) of two-wheeler riders have been kill
  • 4th Ibero-American road safety focus planned
    July 2, 2014
    The Latin America and Caribbean Region suffers from a high number of crashes on rural roads and also in the urban areas. Road crashes are now one of the leading causes of death in the region, especially for those aged 5-44. There are around 100,000 reported road fatalities/year in Latin America and the Caribbean while over 5 million/year are injured. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that the death and serious injury rates are 10-20 times higher than in other industrialised regions, highli
  • Road deaths continue to fall in many countries
    June 4, 2015
    The latest information from IRTAD, the permanent working group on road safety at the International Transport Forum, shows that road deaths are falling in many countries worldwide. There were 42% fewer road deaths in IRTAD countries since 2000. However, strong disparities exist between countries, according to IRTAD’s latest data. In all 70 organisations from 39 countries are members of IRTAD. The 2014 provisional data show that 15 of the IRTAD member countries for which figures are available managed to red
  • Research reveals rash driving road risk for young drivers
    May 15, 2015
    Research by the RAC Foundation reveals the high risk posed by young drivers on the UK’s roads. Meanwhile the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is calling for stronger measures on drivers aged 70 or more. Young drivers aged 17-19 only account for 1.5% of the UK’s driving population but feature in 12% of crashes involving serious injuries and fatalities. Around 20% of young drivers aged 17-19 will have a crash in the first six months after passing their test according to the study. The analysis carr