It is essential to follow the road safety instructions while riding your bicycle on the roads of India. If you are a beginner cyclist, you might not know that are you required to wear helmet on bicycle?
Well, the answer is yes, You should wear a bicycle helmet while riding on the roads. As it is one of the effective measures for the safety of your head. A helmet makes sure that you are saved from any kind of severe head injuries or that your face and head are not in danger in case any accident occurs on the road.
A bicycle helmet is a simple but very effective safety addition for a cyclist which offers a variety of benefits to them. We will discuss the importance of wearing a helmet on a bicycle and how a cycle helmet protects the head in an accident.
Let’s dive right in.
Benefits of Wearing a Helmet on a Bicycle:
1. Protection from accidents
The head is a vital part of the human body which needs to be protected first. So, Helmets act as a shield which protects your brain when you fall while cycling. You should wear a bicycle helmet to protect yourself from head injuries.
2. Protection from harsh weather conditions
Helmets protect the cyclists from immense sunlight coming directly to the rider’s head. If you are wearing a helmet, this will help a lot when you are covering huge distances. Also, helmets make your head cool by preventing sweat in rough weather conditions.
3. Educating the people
Wearing a helmet makes sure that your ride is safe and plays an important role to educate other riders to wear helmets while riding on the road. As a cyclist, you should set an example by wearing a helmet on a bicycle. Also, you can probably save yours as well as some other person’s life. So go for it!
4. Awareness among youth
Wearing helmets while riding a bicycle is really important, especially among youth who suffer from mild accidents. By spreading the use of helmets among your friends, you can create alertness and influence them to wear helmets while cycling.
How do Bicycle Helmets Protect the Head in an Accident?
Bicycle helmets have an exterior shell of hard plastic and an interior shell of foam. As a result of the materials in your helmet, when you hit your head, the force and energy of the impact will be scattered, reducing the force applied to your skull.
As you swing your head against the hard surface of impact, the foam will cushion your head, allowing your neck to be free of strain without jerking. Basically, a helmet can minimize the amount of energy(impact) that strikes your head in case of an accident.
What are the Helmet Rules for Cyclists in India?
Many people still don’t have knowledge about the fact that wearing helmets on a two-wheeler vehicle has become compulsory by law. But the worst part is that even after knowing this, people don’t take up the initiative of wearing helmets while driving their motorbikes on the road or a bike.
“Riding a bicycle without a helmet is not safe on the roads of India. Well, there is no helmet law for cyclists yet. So, it becomes the personal choice of cyclists to wear a helmet or not. However, Cyclists are required to wear a helmet in cycling races, events and on the Indian national highways. You must wear a cycling helmet to make yourself safe.”
Many people don’t wear a helmet while riding bicycles because they consider cycling a hobby. What do you think, is cycling a hobby of sport in India?
Driving your two-wheeler motor vehicle without a helmet has now become illegal in India due to the tremendous rise in accidents. The motor vehicle act, of 1988 has been introduced to make helmet rules and regulations for people of India riding their vehicles on the roads. Within years, many modifications have been created and added to the activities related to riding on the roads.
The government has also thought of upgrading the helmet laws by introducing the penalty of rupees 1000 for not using helmets while riding bicycles as well. India as compared to other countries has not yet developed a strong system for bicyclists yet, but soon enactments will take place.
Do you have to wear a helmet on a bicycle in India?
Though it is not a legal obligation to wear a helmet while cycling by the Highway Code and every authority advises wearing a helmet while riding an MTB Cycle in India. Wearing a helmet has now become a crucial issue among all cyclists.
You should wear a helmet because a recent study has shown that wearing helmets reduced the risks of head injury by 69% and face injury by 31%. Nowadays cycle helmets are very light in weight and much easy to wear. A bicycle helmet is very beneficial for saving your life and decreasing fatal head injuries making the helmets worth wearing and value able.
Do you need a helmet for a bicycle in India?
A helmet is considered essential while riding a bicycle. A large percentage of cyclists are seen without helmets and this number is rapidly growing among those who wear helmets. Young bicyclists especially in Mumbai are dealing with accidents every single day and damaging their most crucial organ- The brain. But still taking risks of not wearing a helmet.
There are a number of cyclists who use their cycles for work like milkmen, delivery boys etc. It’s possible that they cannot afford expensive helmets and ride without them. They need to supply cheaper helmets for them otherwise they will risk their lives daily. So cyclists just wake up and use helmets!
What are the consequences of not wearing a bicycle helmet?
According to research, it is found that about 2% of the people who suffered from death were cyclists. Death among bicyclists of age above 20 years has shown a massive increase over many years. And the main cause of these accidents is helmets that are cyclists who don’t wear a helmet while riding bicycle dies due to which they suffered.
- Riding the bicycle without wearing helmets leads to an increase in head injury.
- Children between the age group of 10 to 14 years don’t use helmets much which increases the risk of brain injury among young children in the event of a crash.
- Bicyclists may suffer from dizziness, loss of memory and headache as a result of not wearing a helmet.
- Cyclists suffer from severe head trauma, coma and then immediate death due to their mistake of not wearing helmets while riding a cycle.
So it’s obvious that cyclists commit a great mistake by not wearing helmets while riding bicycles. Many states have issued an order making it mandatory to wear helmets while riding bicycles, otherwise they have to pay a fine. No one wants to pay a fine but at the same time, no one wants to wear the helmet as well.
People don’t understand that the helmet protects them from severe injuries. Day by day head injuries are increasing and they have reached about 70%. So there is a need to prevent these injuries and this will be reduced by wearing helmets while riding a bicycle.
How to Buy a Perfect Bicycle Helmet: Bike Helmet Buying Guide
FAQs: Are You Required to Wear Helmet on Bicycle in India
Do bicycle helmets prevent head injury?
The primary purpose of any helmet is to protect the head from any damage and eliminates head injuries. Similarly, Bicycle helmets also do the same and protect against various head injuries. They are lightweight so that the rider can easily move their head while cycling. So, if someone asks you that, are you required to wear helmet on bicycle? Then, say Yes.
Can I wear a bicycle helmet on a motorcycle?
No, you should wear a bicycle helmet on a motorcycle because motorcycles go faster than bicycles. Therefore bicycle helmets can’t handle fast speed and protect your head. The average speed of bicycles in India is somewhere around 25km/h. However, the speed of a motorbike is more than 50 km/h. You should avoid using a bicycle helmet on a motorcycle.
What to look for in a bicycle helmet?
There are many things that you should always look for in a bicycle helmet i.e., should be the right size helmet, should match your style of riding, the type of helmet you need(road bike helmet, mtb helmet), must be lightweight, straps must be working, should maintain good aerodynamics, and should be breathable as well. You can also check for light mount space or camera mount space if you need that too.
How to choose the right bicycle helmet?
Take the measurement of your Head Size. For comfort and effectiveness in an accident, it is necessary to choose the right helmet size. Before buying a helmet, try it on no matter what the measurement is! Because size may vary for different brands.
Can I wear a motorcycle helmet on a bicycle?
There is no law which prohibits not wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding a bicycle. Yes, you can certainly wear a helmet on a motorbike while cycling, If you aren’t bothered by weight, heat, and a loss of hearing, or if you want to move your head a little more in order to see what you are doing. However, I would recommend bicycle helmets to motorcycle helmets because they provide better protection on a cycle.
Should Kids wear a bicycle helmet while riding a bicycle?
Yes, why not. Everyone is requested to wear a bicycle helmet including kids as well from the end of cyclingguru.in Unfortunately, we don’t have any law regarding wearing a helmet on bicycles in India. But, it’s our responsibility to save our lives. So, always wear a good quality bicycle helmet while riding a bicycle. Always buy a helmet along with a kid’s bicycle.
CONCLUSION: Do I have to Wear a Helmet on a Bicycle in India
To conclude this article are you required to wear a helmet on a bicycle in India. I would say that helmets are significant for protecting against head or face injuries of cyclists. Helmets among children must be promoted on a large scale.
Cycling is economical and effective means of transport in many countries and keeping in mind, the current environmental conditions, bicycles or electronic bicycles have become popular. But it has increased the chances of deaths and accidents due to the non-ability of wearing helmets.
The usage of helmets in preventing death among youth and safety regulations are also on track. So it is our duty to promote using helmets among children via social networking sites or through camps so that people get to know the importance of wearing helmets in controlling serious injury.
Our Popular Posts:
