Hamburg After an intensive time of preparation an international team of motorcycle enthusiasts and artists will travel today to India to kick off ‘Helmets for India’ – a creative initiative to change the road safety situation on two wheels in India. The first ever helmet art show to promote road safety will be held in Mumbai, followed by a motorcycle road trip to Goa to raise awareness for the cause.
While filming for a TV show in India in 2018, the initiator of Helmets for India, Niels-Peter Jensen was appalled to see that most people riding scooters and motorcycles through the craziest traffic in the world don’t wear helmets. Especially women and kids who make up most of the pillion riders, push through crowded traffic, in which there is little safety regulation or policing. Witnessing a two wheeler accident involving a small kid marked Niels profoundly. As a father and a biker, he felt compelled to do something that would help bring about a change. After many discussions with the locals and with his friends in India and abroad, the idea for ‘Helmets for India’ was born – Safe ride for everyone, everywhere!
The safety requirements for two wheelers in India are still catastrophic and the statistics shocking. India has reported the most traffic deaths worldwide which includes 327 motorcycle deaths each day. Not surprisingly, most motorcycle deaths are a result of head injuries. Wearing a motorcycle helmet securely can reduce the risk of death by 40% and the risk of heavy head injury by 70% (Based on WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018).
Helmets for India is bringing attention to the problem in many ways. The first charity adventure road trip will start from the Gateway of India in Mumbai, go through Pune, along the coast and end the week long ride in Goa. The team of motorcycle enthusiasts accompanying Niels-Peter Jensen are Caro Fitus from Germany, Dean Stockton (Aka D*Face) from UK, Francesca Gasperi from Italy and Ganesh Shinde from India. They will each ride a Royal Enfield Himalayan, an urban ADV well suited for commuting as well as long distance riding to talk to the common man that uses a two wheeler on a daily basis, spread awareness and educate them on wearing a helmet securely. The team will also giveaway helmets as needed that are sponsored by several global helmet brands. With a goal of distributing 1,000 helmets in 2019, this tour will be the first of many in India.
‘Helmets for India’ is bringing more than 20 artists from across the globe under one roof to customize helmets in their distinctive styles in an effort to make riding safer for everyone, everywhere. Some prominent names include D*Face, Magnus Walker, Steve Caballero, Patrick Muff and Rasmus Tikkanen. These customized art helmets will be premiered at a special art exhibition being organized by Moto Art Show on 24 March, 2019 at the Bombay Art Society and will be the first of its kind in India. After their debut, the art helmets will travel to other well known motorcycle events around the globe such as The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show (USA), The Bike Shed (UK), Wildays (Italy), The Malle Mile (UK), Moto Circle (Austria) and Wildays (Italy). At the end of 2019, the art helmets will be auctioned off to raise funds that will be used to support a non-profit working in the area of road safety in India.
Helmets for India is supported and funded by Arai, Hedon, Nexx, Nolan, Sena, Gulf and Sas-Tec, in addition to a number of individuals who are working tirelessly on the ground to make this fantastic project a reality.
For more information, visit www.helmetsforindia.com and follow Helmets for India on Instagram: www.instagram.com/helmets_for_india