‘Perhaps we should have a waiver system’: Sanjeev Sanyal on protests against helmet rules

Protests against the mandatory wearing of helmets by two-wheeler riders have long puzzled many and now, Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has weighed in with a sharp criticism of such demonstrations.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sanyal wrote, “One of strangest of protests, seen in several cities in India, are those against wearing of helmets by two-wheelers. It is as if the State benefits from the preservation of your head. I can never understand it. Perhaps we should have a system of waiver — so individuals can waive their right to insurance, medical help etc in return for riding helmet free.”

His remarks came in response to a recent protest in Surat, Gujarat, where members of a political party demonstrated against the mandatory helmet rule, drawing widespread criticism.

The rule, recently enforced by the Surat administration, requires all two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. On the first day of implementation, most riders complied, while the traffic police used drones to track violators and issue e-challans or spot fines.