There is no positive to having a motorcycle accident besides recognising the luck by which you survived it and—hopefully—gaining real-world data that could help you become a safer driver.
What can I share on road safety, besides my own accident experience? In the small hours of a night in August 2015, I wrung the throttle on an empty Bengaluru highway, my 135cc engine roared almost as if it were alive. The world was good in that moment. In the next, an unmarked speed-breaker that had not been there the week before appeared. I jammed the brakes—it was already too late—braced for impact, and then, was airborne.
At that speed, the world was not good. But certainly, my braking had not been for naught, else I would have flown further and faster. More certainly, it would have been best had I not been speeding at all. Lesson #1.
It is said, based on an American study, that every 16kmph increase in speed after 100kmph doubles your chance of dying in a crash. The World Health Organisation offered a more clinical estimate—“an increase in average speed of 1 kmph typically results in a 3 per cent higher risk of a crash involving injury, with a 4–5 per cent increase for crashes that result in fatalities”. Most studies looked at cars, but a study of over 1,000 motorcycle accidents in Germany estimated a 2/3 chance of serious injuries in crashes at 70km/h. Lesson #2: Speed limits exist for a reason.
With no real opportunity to Google these odds while being airborne, all I could think about was what was in front of me: the tarmac. As my ungloved hands stretched towards it, I thought, “Well, this is going to hurt.”
I tumbled upon impact. Those who watch MotoGP and who know to wear All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT) know better how to tuck your arms in and try to slide it out, using the protective layers of your riding gear as a form of armour. Lesson #3: Riding gloves are cheap. Wear them. Get a set of motorcycle pants, too, and a good jacket if the weather is kind.
Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. But the real life-lesson came mid-tumble. As I hit the road, rolled and got disoriented, I felt a distant thud through my helmet, which was the sound of my head hitting the ground for the first time. I remember thinking in that split moment: “Oof. That helmet just saved my life.”
Thankfully, the accident happened in front of a hospital, so I escaped with just a broken clavicle, and did not hurt anybody else through my own stupidity. I could only thank my stars that the helmet fit me well, that I had dutifully fastened the chinstrap every time—despite taking it off multiple times at multiple stops before the accident. An unfastened helmet—or one that does not fit well—can be the biggest mistake of your life. Lesson #4: Helmet discipline saves life.
There is little use to personal anecdotes in something as dangerous as motorcycling; hard facts should suffice more than circumstantial rolls of the die. It is such a fact that helmets save lives and yet, so many in India will ride without them—whether to preserve their hairstyles, to feel the wind, or out of some other unfathomable reason.
Thirty seven per cent of the 1.5 lakh people who died on Indian roads in 2019 were on two-wheelers; 44,666 of those victims were not wearing helmets, according to transport ministry data.
Not all helmets are made equal, and from June 1, it is mandatory for helmets to bear the IS 4151: 2015 standard mark, by virtue of the Two Wheeler Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020. The commonly seen construction helmet, used to save riders not from injury but from the ire of policemen, will no longer do even that.
However, the new standards introduce a paradox, for some. The government wants you to stop using helmets that do not meet safety standards—but in hopes of enforcing this, have made only one safety standard the passing criteria, that of the Bureau of Indian Standards. However, many in the motorcycling community advocate for helmets that adhere to safety standards like SNELL, SHARP or ECE 22.06.
Some manufacturers tread a safe middle ground by adhering to all standards: Royal Enfield’s website states that a helmet “that is not only certified for IS 4151 Indian Standard but also DOT...and ECE 22.05 is a perfect solution and a balance between all prevalent standards of certifications.”
Among helmet standards, SNELL’s are arguably the most stringent—with criteria regularly updated and listed by the non-profit Snell Foundation. The foundation itself was started to honour the memory of William “Pete” Snell, a Californian amateur sports car race driver whose helmet failed to protect him. On the other side are American DOT-certified helmets—controversial among bikers who see its self-certification requirements and outdated safety parameters as emblematic of bureaucratic indifference (YouTube channel Fort9 has done a fantastic video on what’s wrong with DOT).
Smart riders take no chances with their helmets, or with their gear. This includes dodging half-helmets that leave your chin unguarded. For Nikhil Infant, who has been riding for over 16 years, he prioritised fit, safety rating, colour, design and the brand of the helmet, in that order. “A right sized full-face helmet, strapped properly, will save lives,” he said.
In 2016, Bengaluru made helmets compulsory for pillion riders. The move, while designed to save lives, can pose practical issues for motorcyclists—who need an extra bag or mounting equipment to carry the extra lifesaver. “If I know that I’ll take a pillion, I carry a helmet in a bag. But usually, it is just me. As difficult as it is to do this, I think it’s a good rule, but what’s sad is, unless you carry a helmet on your bike you cannot offer people lifts on the road like before,” said Nikhil.
Noah Chetri, who purchased his first bike in 2020, spent months researching helmets, gear and best practices before taking the plunge. “I’d say safety would be of utmost importance,” he said. “But you also have to remember that a helmet which isn’t comfortable is going to bother you during long rides, same for ones that aren’t ventilated or that don’t have protection against dust or glare. After all, riding is an activity that requires 100 per cent focus.”
On helmet safety, Noah highlights a range of factors: From the material of the outer surface to features such as the Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS)—which incorporates sliding surfaces within the helmet to reduce the amount of rotational damage one can suffer in a crash. True, racing grade ARAI helmets can cost as much as a commuter motorcycle, but ECE-certified helmets can be bought without breaking the bank.