IRF urges GST cut on helmets to reduce fatalities in road accidents

Geneva-based global road safety body International Road Federation (IRF) on Wednesday demanded a reduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on helmets for two-wheeler riders from 18 per cent to nil to encourage vehicle owners to wear helmets and reduce fatalities.

IRF in a statement expressed concern at increase in number of road accidents in the country as per latest data compiled by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) riders of two wheelers had the highest share of road deaths.

IRF has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce GST on helmets from the present 18 per cent to 0 (zero) per cent, as the two-wheeler riders, being most vulnerable, account for about 31 per cent of deaths due to head injuries.

"One of the most effective measures to reduce the two-wheeler accident injuries and fatalities is the use of standard helmets, IRF president emeritus K K Kapila said.

Kapila said the helmet usage in India has been found to be low. "It has been noticed that most of the two-wheeler riders fall in economically weaker and lower income groups and prefer to purchase helmets which are cheaper and inferior in quality.

Many of these helmets are not capable of saving a rider's life in case of an accident," he said.

According to Kapila, reduction of GST on helmets will help in making the standard helmets more affordable for the masses and will discourage them from buying helmets of substandard quality, which will assist reducing road accident fatalities of two wheeler riders.

As per the latest data shared by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), during the year 2023, two-wheeler riders accounted for 45 per cent or 77,539 of total road accident deaths. This included about 50,000 two-wheeler riders who died for not wearing a helmet.