Rajvir Jawanda’s death stirs debate on bike safety

The untimely and shocking death of Punjabi singer Rajvir Jawanda has again stirred the debate on the ‘safety’ of bike enthusiasts— not only in terms of better roads, but also ensuring presence of proper safety gear and awareness while riding bikes.

Jawanda, an avid biker and adventure lover, was reportedly riding in a group and was wearing all necessary safety gear, when he had the fatal crash. He had participated in many bike trips across the country.

“It’s a shocking loss. He was a responsible rider, who always preferred wearing safety gear. We cannot change destiny. There have been many incidents, where young riders have lost their lives despite wearing all safety gear. Even professional racers — who go for extra protection — have died of injuries. In 2011, Marco Simoncelli died from chest, head and neck injuries after a crash at the Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang,” said Jatinder Paul Dhillon, whose son Prithvi Dhillon is a professional bike racer and has also performed as a stuntman.

He added, “In addition to the safety gear, road awareness is important. In Jawanda’s case, everything happened in a nick of time.”

Recreational riders usually wear the safety gear, which is available in different categories. In addition to helmets, racing suits and racing jackets come with a chest protector and partial back protector. The gear also includes shoulder covered jackets, elbow guards, knuckles’ guard, trousers with knee and shin protector and different types of protector boots.

“The interest in biking has seen a massive increase, not only among youngsters, but also among those in 40 to 60 year age group. With the increase in demand, there has been a spike in availability of the products too. Nowadays, a jacket costs Rs 3,000 and can go up to Rs 15,000 depending upon the need. The gear is surely expensive, but doesn’t offer the guarantee of saving a life. The biker’s armour is as expensive as a bike, but in the end it’s about one’s destiny,” said Shubham Kathuria, who is in the business of biking safety gear.

“There are many biking groups in Chandigarh, and majority of them ride to hills twice or thrice a month. Riding a bike is not easy and requires passion. Jawanda was an avid rider and carried all necessary emergency equipment and safety gear. His death is tragic, but also gives a lesson to many who think that biking is just about riding a two-wheeler,” said Ankit, a local rider.

“Many people ignore proper gear during the ride, as it’s difficult to carry. However, it’s really important to have one. In India, bikers usually face difficulties in summers. Jawanda knew the importance of protective apparel, as his social media photographs showed him wearing the safety gear,” said Akshat, who rides with his wife Neha.

Jawanda used to ride a high-performance BMW R1250 GS Adventure motorcycle, which costs over Rs 22 lakh.