In an effort to drastically reduce road accident deaths and injuries, the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has proposed an uncompromising "no helmet, no fuel" policy that will be directed against two-wheeler accidents. According to this directive issued on January 8 by Transport Commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh, fuel station operators across the state will refuse to sell fuel to any two-wheeler riders not wearing helmets, passengers or pillion riders.

The government has framed a new regulation based on the alarming data about the road accidents in Uttar Pradesh. Most of the two-wheeler victims were found to not wear helmets at the time of accident. The Transport Department has emphasized the urgency for the measure and is citing the necessity of saving lives by promoting helmet use among the riders.

The official letter addressed to the district magistrates of all 75 districts, and also copied to divisional commissioners, reiterates the need for this rule to be implemented to reduce the state's high road accident rate. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a recent review of road safety measures, pointed out that road accidents kill between 25,000 to 26,000 people every year in Uttar Pradesh alone. He said that most of these deaths could have been avoided if riders had worn helmets.

The number of deaths due to road accidents among two-wheeler riders is largely caused by the failure to wear helmets. This policy will help in saving lives and road safety, it said.

The "no helmet, no fuel" policy is in line with the state's overall road safety objectives, such as reducing fatalities through traffic and responsible riding. A successful implementation could be a precedence for other regions to take control of their respective road safety concerns.