Delhi, India Will End Helmet Exemption For Women That Originated For Religious Reasons

The government of the national capital territory of Delhi, India told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday in response to a public interest lawsuit that it plans to end the exemption for women from the requirement to wear a helmet when riding on a motorcycle. According to India Today, the exemption had a religious origin. India's national Motor Vehicles Act (Sec. 129) requires all motorcycle riders-- except for Sikh men wearing turbans, and others exempted by State government rules-- to wear a helmet.  Just as Sikh men objected on religious grounds to helmets, so did Sikh women who can only wear a chunni. In Delhi, traffic police found it difficult to distinguish Sikh women from other women in enforcing the rule. So Delhi Motor Vehicles Rule 115 was adopted that made helmets optional for all women. That exemption will now be repealed within two months.