NEW DELHI: On Friday, the Delhi government came out with the draft notification making it mandatory for women travelling on two-wheelers, driving or riding pillion, to wear helmets.

The notification gives 30 days to the public for suggestions and objections before the Delhi Motor Vehicles Act is amended. According to the order, the sub-rule (2) of rule 115 (that exempts women from wearing helmets) in the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, 1993 has been deleted. The new rules may be called Delhi Motor Vehicles (amendment) Rules, 2014, the notification said.

However, officials in the state transport department confirmed that the rule will come into effect only a month later. "This is a draft notification. Once it is part of the amended DMV act, women not wearing helmets will be prosecuted," said the official. At present, women are exempt from wearing the helmet and are not challaned for not wearing one. Delhi's chief electoral officer had recently given a go-ahead to the Delhi government's plea to implement the decision of making wearing of helmets mandatory.

The proposal had already been approved by Delhi's lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung. According to a recent World Health Organisation report, India has the highest number of road deaths in a year in the world - 1,05,725 deaths, followed by China (96,611), the US (42,642) and Russia (35,972).

According to the transport department, 576 two wheeler riders lost their lives in 2012.

In 2012, 35,767 two wheeler riders, many of them women, were killed in road accidents. "The main risk factor for motorized two-wheeler users is non-use of helmets and head injuries are the major cause of death, injury and disability among them," a transport department official said.

Senior officials said that the move also comes after recommendations of the Delhi Commission for Women as well as the Delhi traffic police, which cited data that showed that over 50 deaths of women pillion riders took place last year.

However, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee and other Sikh organizations had opposed the transport department's move and urged the L-G to review the order in light of their religious sentiments.

The Delhi Government had earlier opposed moves to force women pillion passengers to wear crash helmets because it is a "sensitive issue" and will be unpopular with women who fear it will ruin their hair. The government had made it optional in 1993. Under Motor Vehicles Act all riders and passengers must wear crash helmets, but the Delhi Government allowed a religious exemption initially for Sikh men and women but later extended it to all women.

