This was emphasised at the launch of Mission Save Lives 2.0, by Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director of Steelbird Helmets, at a road safety summit in New Delhi.
“Every day, India loses thousands of lives that could be saved by simply wearing a real BIS-certified helmet,” Kapur said. “This mission is a national commitment to make helmets accessible, affordable, and mandatory for every rider and pillion passenger, including children.”
In 2023 alone, India reported approximately 1.72 lakh road fatalities and 4.63 lakh injuries. Vulnerable road users—especially two-wheeler riders and pedestrians—were the worst hit. Two-wheeler users accounted for nearly 44.8% of deaths (about 77,000), and non-helmet use was linked to an estimated 54,000 of those fatalities. Pedestrians made up nearly 20% of the death toll, around 35,000 lives. Together, these groups comprised 65% of total road deaths, underlining the dire need for focused intervention.
Mission Save Lives 2.0 outlines a phased national rollout: beginning in Tier 1 cities by 2028, extending to Tier 2 by 2029, and reaching Tier 3 cities and rural India by January 2031. This approach aims to systematically address helmet non-compliance while enabling manufacturers to scale up responsibly.
A critical focus of the mission is eliminating counterfeit helmets. An estimated 95% of BIS license holders are supplying substandard helmets falsely bearing the ISI mark into the market—some sold for as little as ₹110—that fail to meet IS 4151:2015 safety norms. The mission demands real-time license verification, periodic audits, targeted raids, and legal action to root out these life-threatening fakes. It also requires every helmet manufacturer to operate a BIS-certified in-house testing lab to ensure product quality and safety.
Children’s safety is another top priority, with plans to introduce lightweight helmets and harnesses designed specifically for young pillion riders. The mission recommends maximum helmet weights tailored by age—from 0.72 kg for one-year-olds to 1.17 kg for six-year-olds—based on international safety standards.
To make helmets more accessible, the mission advocates reclassifying them as essential, life-saving equipment and reducing the current 18% GST to 12%, a step that could benefit millions of price-sensitive consumers.
Starting January 2027, all two-wheeler manufacturers will be mandated to provide one BIS-certified helmet immediately, and two—one for rider and one for pillion—at the point of sale. This is designed to embed helmet usage at the moment of purchase.
Finally, a comprehensive monitoring mechanism will track the mission’s progress. This includes annual audits by the National Crime Records Bureau and the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, a digital tracking dashboard, and usage surveys—all geared toward achieving a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2031.
“We owe it to every two-wheeler rider and their families to create safer roads,” Kapur said. “A real helmet takes just seconds to wear but can save a lifetime.”