India Pushes For Global Helmet Safety At Road Safety Conference In Marrakech

Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, led discussions on the United Nations Safe and Affordable Helmets Initiative, a step aimed at ensuring access to high quality, low cost helmets worldwide. India was an active participant, with representatives including Ajay Tamta, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Rajeev Kapur, President of the Helmet Association & MD Steelbird Helmet, Industry body SIAM and several NGOs also contributed insights on helmet enforcement and accessibility.

"India is not just a manufacturing hub for helmets; we are driving change by making high-quality helmets more affordable and accessible. Safety should not be a privilege—it is a fundamental right," Kapur said.

Despite helmets reducing the risk of brain injury by 74% and fatalities by six times, millions of motorcyclists worldwide still fail to wear them due to cost, lack of accessibility, and weak enforcement. The UN’s initiative seeks to remove financial barriers by ensuring helmets that meet UN safety standards are available for less than USD 20, making them more accessible to vulnerable populations.

Rajeev Kapur as the Helmet Expert, also unveiled Mission Save Lives - a 13-point roadmap supporting UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030) aimed at cutting global road injuries by 50% by 2030.

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Delegates from over 80 countries attended the conference to discuss road safety policies, governance, funding, and regional challenges, particularly in Africa. With five years remaining to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of halving road deaths by 2030, global leaders emphasized stricter safety regulations and stronger enforcement of helmet use.