In a decisive move aimed at transforming road safety in India, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari has proposed that all two-wheelers should be sold with two ISI-certified helmets. The announcement was made during an event held in New Delhi and has received strong backing from the Two-Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association of India (THMA).

India’s road safety statistics continue to be grim, with over 4,80,000 road accidents and 1,88,000 deaths reported every year. Shockingly, 66% of these casualties involve individuals aged between 18 to 45. Among two-wheeler fatalities, more than 69,000 deaths annually occur, and 50 per are due to the absence of helmets, according to THMA.

Rajeev Kapur, President of THMA, expressed his deep appreciation for the Minister’s proactive leadership. He said, "This is not just a regulation; it’s a national need." 

"For families who have lost loved ones in crashes—young sons, daughters, parents—this directive brings hope that such losses can be prevented in the future,” he added. 

Those helmets that passed the quality and safety standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India's national standards organization are fall under the category of ISI Certified helmets. These helmets carry the ISI (Indian Standards Institute) mark that ensures that the helmet meets specific requirements for protection, durability, and performance when used in road safety applications.

In a separate note, the minister has also approved the construction of a two-lane highway in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer and Barmer districts, near the India-Pakistan border. The project, valued at Rs 1,237.71 crore, was officially announced on Friday through a tweet from the Union Minister.

Taking to social media platform X, Minister Gadkari said, "Strengthening/widening of existing connection of NH-70 and NH-11 (total length 134.86 km) in Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan as well as strengthening and widening of Myajlar-Jaisalmer section of NH-11 and Sundara-Myajlar-Ambasingh Ki Dhani Road portion of the Munabao-Tanot to two-lane has been approved at a cost of Rs 1,237.71 crore."

राजस्थान 

राजस्थान के जैसलमेर और बाड़मेर जिले में राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-70 और राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-11 (कुल लंबाई 134.86 किलोमीटर) के मौजूदा कनेक्शन को मजबूत/चौड़ा करने के साथ-साथ राष्ट्रीय राजमार्ग-11 के म्याजलार-जैसलमेर खंड और मुनाबाव-तनोट के सुंदरा-म्याजलर-अंबासिंह की ढाणी रोड…

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) March 28, 2025