Started by Niels-Peter Jensen, Helmets For India is an Artists Collective initiative to change perspective towards helmet safety in India
Royal Enfield to support and further strengthen this initiative to increase safety awareness and helmet adoption among riding community
New Delhi, January 13, 2022: Two-wheeler rider safety and the lack of adoption of helmets, have been among the most pressing subjects concerning road safety in India. Taking this into cognisance and to enhance awareness and increase adoption of helmets as essential companions for millions of riding enthusiasts in India, Royal Enfield has partnered with Helmets For India, a not-for-profit, creative initiative aimed at bringing about a positive change in the mass perception of wearing a helmet and improving road safety in India.
This collaboration will unlock the potential of a widespread and passionate Royal Enfield ecosystem – unified community, expansive retail network etc – for Helmets For India and will allow the initiative a larger canvas to mobilise influential voices and inspire action towards the cause. The collaboration will also allow Royal Enfield to deepen its commitment towards its social mission of Responsible Travel, and in general encourage adoption of safe riding gear for riders, especially helmets.
Conceived in 2018, Helmets For India is an initiative started by Niels-Peter Jensen, a German film-maker and former world champion mountain bike racer, who, during his first visit to India was profoundly affected by a road mishap involving a young two-wheeler rider. Feeling compelled to take charge and influence change, Niels initiated ‘Helmets For India’ with the motto of Safe ride for everyone, everywhere! Helmets For India has since used self-expression and art as a means of inspiration to unite the global motorcycle community and raise awareness for the cause of educating millions on the need to wear a helmet.
Speaking about this collaboration, B. Govindarajan, Executive Director, Royal Enfield, said “Nurturing a culture of safe riding among enthusiasts has been a significant aspect of building the pure motorcycling experience for us at Royal Enfield. Awareness towards road safety, ensuring the adoption of the right kind of riding gear, and most importantly, helmet safety have been key pillars of this objective. Helmets For India is a unique initiative inspiring riders by positioning and showcasing helmets as an extension of their personality in addition to being a critical safety gear. This worked well with our own ethos of motorcycling being a means of self-expression and we are very happy to be partnering with Niels and Helmets For India.”
To kickstart this collaboration, Helmets For India and Royal Enfield have put together a unique global artists collective initiative wherein world-renowned artists will create unique and evocative expressions on helmets which will then be auctioned to raise funds for the cause of helmet safety. Over 25 global artists’, including Jet Bailey, Ron Miller, Sankskar Sawant and Francesco Colombo’s helmet graffiti designs will be unveiled across Royal Enfield’s social media channels as well as the Helmets For India website. The final artworks will join the 30 previously created for Helmets For India last year, to take part in a prestigious exhibition and auction in India later this year. Entire proceeds from the auction will be donated to an Indian NGO that rehabilitates children who have suffered serious head injuries in road traffic accidents.
Niels-Peter Jensen, Founder, Helmets For India said, ”Helmets For India is a passionate endeavour born out of a cause which has become very close to me over the last few years. Lack of awareness on road safety contributes to a significant loss of lives in India every year. At Helmets For India, we are working towards creating exciting and engaging avenues to educate the riding community about the importance of road safety and adoption of helmets. We are excited and delighted to partner with a global motorcycling brand like Royal Enfield to help us drive positive change and inspire the riding community to embrace helmets as vital partners in their journeys.”
In keeping with its position as the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, Royal Enfield has remained steadfast in its commitment to road safety awareness, and has undertaken a host of initiatives to ensure customer safety while riding, including giving helmets to customers along with the sale of every new motorcycle, free of cost.
Since its inception, Helmets For India has undertaken numerous awareness drives and initiatives engaging riders in India while building cognizance for the cause amongst the global motorcycling community. This includes a global collaboration to create customised helmets with 20+ renowned artists such as Dean Stockton aka D*Face, Magnus Walker, Steve Caballero, Roadkill or Rasmus Tikkanen. The not-for-profit organization also undertook an awareness ride from Mumbai to Goa conducting awareness workshops and distributing over 300 helmets to riders along the way. The last two years saw a hiatus in progress due to the COVID-19 pandemic but with Royal Enfield now leading the way, the coming year will see a marked escalation in activities.
A follow-up Helmets For India ride is also planned, with Niels and a new team of motorcycle enthusiasts departing the Royal Enfield Garage Cafe in Goa on a 1000km journey to Kanyakumari. Along the way there will be helmet art shows and plenty of opportunities to demonstrate the importance, and cool factor, of wearing one, whether that be on a 2-minute journey to the grocery or a week-long ride in the Himalayas.
Look out for stories of design and inspiration behind each uniquely created helmet on the Helmets For India website and Instagram channel @helmetsforindia.
