Indian court asks why women are exempted from helmet laws

Finally taking a stand against the tyranny of the bad hair day, a Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the government to explain why women should be exempted from laws requiring motorcycle and scooter riders to wear safety helmets.

The Indian Express reports that a division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice to the Delhi government on a petition that sought to draw the court’s attention to the frequent fatalities of women occurring on city roads due to a provision of the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules that exempts women from wearing helmets when riding pillion.

“When accidents take place, it does not discriminate between men and women and the injuries are sustained irrespective of the sex… this rule must be struck down for the safety of women in Delhi. The government is bound to lay down a uniform policy for all the people, irrespective of their caste, creed, colour, gender, etc,” the report quoted the petition filed by Ulhas P R as saying.