#TIL: Highway to hel(met)
Invented by Gottlied Daimler, the first bike wasn’t invented for speed, it was made for fun and hence protective gear was not a part of the package. The history of helmet starts in 1935, when T.E Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, died due to head injuries.
Helmets are essential for road safety. If enforced correctly, helmet laws hold the potential to reduce road mortality by at least 32%. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), almost 71% of countries worldwide have helmet laws. However, only 40% of the countries require helmets to meet a specific standard.
As per the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, India made the use of helmets compulsory. The law also prescribes 20–25 mm as an appropriate thickness, along with a foam backing. However, the notification and enforcement of the law rests with the states.
In 2014, GPS embedded tech was developed for helmets and perhaps helmets with pollution masks might be next for the Indian market.
Helmets have come a long way. The graphic below traces the journey of helmets from 1935 to the present day, exploring both the scientific and policy developments.
Today I learnt (TIL) is a weekly series by OMI that brings you interesting nuggets of information that you didn’t know you needed.
