All 2-wheelers should have AI sensors by 2031, detecting if both rider & pillion are wearing helmets: Steelbird MD

Wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler is crucial for road safety, as it significantly reduces the risk of severe head injuries and potential death in the event of an accident.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

Helmets absorb the impact of a collision, minimizing the risk of skull fractures, concussions, and other serious brain injuries.

Full-face helmets offer additional protection for the eyes and face, shielding them from debris, dust, and intense light.

Studies show that wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of death in motorcycle accidents by up to 43 percent for riders and 58 percent for passengers.

Going by a WHO study, safe, quality helmets reduce the risk of death in a road crash by over six times, and reduce the risk of brain injury by up to 74 percent.

Head trauma is the leading cause of death for riders, and motorcycles continue to proliferate rapidly.

Yet the use of helmets in many low and middle-income countries remains low.

And here is a 61-year-old helmet manufacturer in India that has been working relentlessly to improve the quality and standards of helmets, adding a dash of style.

Speaking to The Statesman, Rajeev Kapur, MD, Steelbird Helmet & President, Helmet Manufacturing Association India, outlines and explains their success story and also on how the number of deaths caused by road accidents can be reduced significantly by the use of standard helmets.

Excerpts:

Q: What is the overall size of the helmet market in India (organized and unorganized sectors combined)?

A: The organized sector helmet is estimated to be 2.5 crore. There is another 2.5 crore fake helmets market carrying the ISI mark and produced by a BIS license holder itself.

Q: What is the percentage-wise break-up of organized and unorganized sectors? Which segment is growing faster?

A: The organized sector is growing faster because fake helmets were sold by showroom owners to make big money and now in 8 states two-wheeler manufacturers started giving one helmet along with two-wheelers, and the cost of that helmet is included in the price of the two-wheeler.