For the past nine years, Raghvendra Singh has been driving across India wearing a crash helmet and handing out the protective gear to two-wheeler riders, often startling passers-by and at times being ridiculed.
Mr Singh, 37, from Greater Noida, a satellite city outside the capital Delhi, gives the helmets to riders who do not use them in a country notorious for traffic offences, deadly roads and the worst record for road accidents in the world.
He keeps helmets in his car, organises special camps in schools and colleges, gives them out as birthday presents, meets people at bustling markets and even stands at traffic signals, donating the headgear to those breaking the rules while riding a motorcycle.
For motorcycle riders, wearing a helmet is mandatory by law but this is widely ignored across India.
Mr Singh has so far distributed more than 56,000 helmets to riders across the country and believes he has saved 30 lives in the past decade.
For his deeds, the Samaritan has earned the nickname ‘helmet man of India’.
“My only aim is to make every Indian a smart road user,” Mr Singh told The National.
“I want everyone to inculcate the habit of wearing a helmet and save their lives.”
The father of one was an aspiring law student when the death of his best friend and roommate Krishan Kumar Thakur in an accident on a motorway in 2014 turned his life “upside-down”.
Following months of grief and shock, Mr Singh said he mustered the courage to donate his personal belongings, including books to needy students, when the idea of distributing helmets to riders hit him.
“He was just 24 years old. He was riding a motorcycle when a car hit him. He was not wearing a helmet and sustained fatal head injuries. His family spent 1.8 million rupees but couldn’t save him.”
“His death jolted me like I was being electrocuted every day. I could not stop thinking 'what if he had worn a helmet?' It was then that I realised how many people die every year in such accidents,” Mr Singh said.
People have called me after a helmet I gave them saved their life at the time of an accident. This keeps me motivated
His unusual endeavour has spread awareness but he often draws ridicule from people who mock him for wasting his money or question his intentions. But in response, Mr Singh patiently narrates his friend’s story to convince people to ride safely to avoid the same fate.
Deadly roads
Each year in India, thousands of people die in road accidents due negligent driving, faulty road design, lax traffic laws and corruption, making road accidents one of the biggest causes of unnatural death in the country.
More than 412,000 road accidents were reported in India in 2021, latest government figures show.
The negligence of not wearing a helmet resulted in the deaths of more than 52,000 people and about 100,000 were injured, the data said.
While the country has strict traffic and safety rules, people rarely comply with them.
It is a common sight to see more than two people on a motorbike or a scooter — without helmets.
Some can be seen casually carrying them on their arms while riding the vehicle and many of those who wear them do so in fear of paying hefty fines to traffic police.
Their reasons for not wearing a helmet vary from spoiling their hairstyle, becoming sweaty in hot weather and impaired hearing from having covered ears.
Leading helmet manufacturer Studds Accessories Ltd in 2020 estimated that about 80 million people who ride motorcycles in the country required helmets, as usage was only 60 per cent of 210 million registered two-wheelers.
Mr Singh blames a lack of awareness and casual attitudes towards safety for reluctance to wear a helmet.
“The biggest challenge is that there is no awareness,” he said. “Wearing a helmet should be made a habit from childhood. Parents should make sure that kids wear a helmet while on a two-wheeler so it will become a habit for them and continue it when they become adults.”
His initiative has saved many lives but the charity has not come easy.
Mr Singh has spent more than 30 million rupees ($365,540) buying helmets, organising safety camps and travelling to far-flung places.
He has even used his savings, mortgaged his wife’s jewellery worth 1.5 million rupees and is now contemplating shifting his son from an affluent school to one run by the government.
“I had to sell my house, my wife’s jewellery but I am not going to stop. This is for my friend whom I couldn’t save but I can save millions of lives.
“People still think I am mad. They laugh at me if I drive the car wearing a helmet. Some even ask if I have extra money to splurge but there are also many who have thanked me for saving their lives,” he said.
“People have called me after a helmet I gave them saved their life at the time of an accident. This keeps me motivated. As long as I live, I want to dedicate my life to this cause.”
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Scores
Scotland 54-17 Fiji
England 15-16 New Zealand
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Rajasthan Royals 153-5 (17.5 ov)
Delhi Daredevils 60-4 (6 ov)
Rajasthan won by 10 runs (D/L method)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What should do investors do now?
What does the S&P 500's new all-time high mean for the average investor?
Should I be euphoric?
No. It's fine to be pleased about hearty returns on your investments. But it's not a good idea to tie your emotions closely to the ups and downs of the stock market. You'll get tired fast. This market moment comes on the heels of last year's nosedive. And it's not the first or last time the stock market will make a dramatic move.
So what happened?
It's more about what happened last year. Many of the concerns that triggered that plunge towards the end of last have largely been quelled. The US and China are slowly moving toward a trade agreement. The Federal Reserve has indicated it likely will not raise rates at all in 2019 after seven recent increases. And those changes, along with some strong earnings reports and broader healthy economic indicators, have fueled some optimism in stock markets.
"The panic in the fourth quarter was based mostly on fears," says Brent Schutte, chief investment strategist for Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. "The fundamentals have mostly held up, while the fears have gone away and the fears were based mostly on emotion."
Should I buy? Should I sell?
Maybe. It depends on what your long-term investment plan is. The best advice is usually the same no matter the day — determine your financial goals, make a plan to reach them and stick to it.
"I would encourage (investors) not to overreact to highs, just as I would encourage them not to overreact to the lows of December," Mr Schutte says.
All the same, there are some situations in which you should consider taking action. If you think you can't live through another low like last year, the time to get out is now. If the balance of assets in your portfolio is out of whack thanks to the rise of the stock market, make adjustments. And if you need your money in the next five to 10 years, it shouldn't be in stocks anyhow. But for most people, it's also a good time to just leave things be.
Resist the urge to abandon the diversification of your portfolio, Mr Schutte cautions. It may be tempting to shed other investments that aren't performing as well, such as some international stocks, but diversification is designed to help steady your performance over time.
Will the rally last?
No one knows for sure. But David Bailin, chief investment officer at Citi Private Bank, expects the US market could move up 5 per cent to 7 per cent more over the next nine to 12 months, provided the Fed doesn't raise rates and earnings growth exceeds current expectations. We are in a late cycle market, a period when US equities have historically done very well, but volatility also rises, he says.
"This phase can last six months to several years, but it's important clients remain invested and not try to prematurely position for a contraction of the market," Mr Bailin says. "Doing so would risk missing out on important portfolio returns."
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Results
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1hr 32mins 03.897sec
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull-Honda) at 0.745s
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) 37.383s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) 46.466s
5.Sergio Perez (Red Bull-Honda) 52.047s
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 59.090s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) 1:06.004
8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 1:07.100
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:25.692
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:26.713,
Name: Colm McLoughlin
Country: Galway, Ireland
Job: Executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free
Favourite golf course: Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Favourite part of Dubai: Palm Jumeirah
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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