New Delhi: After the hit-and-run incident in Gurgaon’s Golf Course Road, involving a woman biker and a popular digital creator, went viral on Sunday, women riders said such incidents are far more common than they appear.
Women being chased on motorcycles, stopped by male riders, filmed without consent or subjected to comments about their riding skills is not a new experience for many women bikers, who say such incidents happen regularly on Indian roads but often go unnoticed or are ignored.
“These incidents of women bikers being chased or stopped by male riders are very common. Every rider must have 10 to 15 such stories that they can recall instantly,” said Tarun, 26, a woman biker who has travelled across 26 states in India on her motorcycle.
In the recent viral video, the woman, identified as Sia, alleged that the car’s driver made gestures toward her when she asked him to maintain a safe distance. According to her, the driver then accelerated, hit her motorcycle from the side and drove away.
“Throwing beer bottles, overtaking our bikes and making gestures are some of the most common incidents,” said Tarun, adding that the viral incident should put the spotlight on such behaviours. She called for strict action to ensure it serves as a deterrent and a lesson for others.
In the viral video, the car can be seen approaching at speed and hitting Sia’s sports bike. She falls to the ground, while her vehicle is dragged several metres due to the impact and speed of the car.
“Today was a Sunday ride, and I was driving with my biker friends from Golf Course Road. This car came there and started chasing me,” Sia said in the video.
After the incident, one of Sia’s friends chased the car, stopping beside it at a red light. However, the driver allegedly accelerated and drove away.
Recalling her own experiences while travelling across India on her motorcycle, Tarun said she has often encountered male drivers who chase her or try to race with her. She said that in such situations, she and most of the women bikers are trained to avoid confrontation and instead stop at the nearest police station or a crowded public place.
“In such incidents, we suggest women riders, especially when they are alone, stop at a crowded place or a police station. They should also note down the vehicle number and report the incident later,” said Kuldeep Sharma, co-founder of LetsRyde, a motorcycle training platform.
Sharma also shared how women bikers at his academy often recount incidents of harassment on the road, particularly when other riders realise that the rider is a woman.
“Even when the roads are empty, male riders often try to pass very close to women bikers or deliberately ride alongside them,” said Sharma.
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‘Won’t be surprised if this case is ignored’
Forty-year-old Akanksha Sharma has been riding motorcycles for more than six years in different parts of the country. She has also trained other women riders and conducts one-on-one riding classes. But what she says has not changed on the ground is the way society perceives and judges women riders. Despite the numbers of women who take up motorcycling has increased, she believes they continue to face scrutiny over their riding skills.
“There will still be people who find faults with a woman rider’s skills or question why she (Sia) was hit,” said Sharma, recalling multiple instances in which she was chased by male riders and drivers while riding motorcycles and cars.
Sharma said women riders are also specifically trained to use cameras while riding, not to record themselves, but to document incidents of harassment or dangerous behaviour and preserve evidence for complaints.
“The moment people see a woman rider, they take it on their ego and start judging her — how fast she can ride, how she will control the bike, or whether she can handle and balance such a heavy motorcycle,” Sharma said.
Women bikers are now calling for the police to take immediate action in the latest case and ensure that it does not become another forgotten incident. They also recalled how several similar complaints in the past were either ignored or reduced to questions about the woman’s riding abilities rather than the behaviour of those who allegedly harassed them.
“We will not be surprised if even after this viral case, despite the evidence, it is ignored or disappears, or the woman is once again judged for her riding,” said Tarun. “But we are still hoping that this case will bring about a change.”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)