‘A Stalwart’: Road Safety Expert Dinesh Mohan Dies of COVID

Dinesh Mohan was an Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi

Road safety and injury-prevention expert Dinesh Mohan passed away from COVID-19 infection on Friday, 21 May. He was 75 years old.

(Image: Etienne Krug/Twitter, Edited by The Quint)

Road-safety and injury-prevention expert Dinesh Mohan passed away of COVID-19 on Friday, 21 May. He was 75 years old.

IIT Director V Ramgopal Rao confirming the news of Mohan’s demise to PTI.

“Dinesh Mohan was under treatment at St Stephen’s Hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19. He passed away this morning due to a cardiac arrest. He was a stalwart in areas of road safety and transportation and had made several contributions to research in the fields.”

V Ramgopal Rao, IIT Director

Professor Mohan, a Leading Safety Expert

Mohan was an Honorary Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi and one of the world’s leading experts on traffic safety and human tolerance to injury. He is famous for his work in areas of advancing motorcycle helmet design.

An alumnus of IIT Bombay and University of Michigan, his extensive body of works included:

• Research on pedestrian and bicyclist safety and child restraint regulations.
• Publishing some of the earliest studies on the limited role of hard shells in motorcycle helmets.
• Mechanical properties of human soft tissues at very high strain rates.
• Head injury criteria for children.

He is also credited with drawing attention to burns caused by fireworks during Diwali and agriculture injuries due to farm machines.

Tributes Pour in

Etienne Krug, Director, Social Determinants of Health at WHO, took to Twitter to mourn Mohan’s demise.

“Deeply shocked to learn about the passing of a giant of injury prevention. Dinesh Mohan was an innovate, driven and fun leader in the field. Co-founder of the series of World Conferences and visionary road safety champion. He leaves a huge legacy. Rest in peace my friend. (<i>sic</i>)”

Etienne Krug, Director, Social Determinants of Health at WHO

Mourning his loss, historian Irfan Habib tweeted: “Not many like him."

Meanwhile, Dr Mathew Varghese wrote a poem in memory of his close friend.

Dinesh Mohan

In a season of losses of so many lives,

Of lives young and old and the not so young,

We mourn the loss of our dear Prof. Dinesh Mohan,

Who lived a life to save lives, to save the world

From suffering caused by injuries

Injuries on the road and off the road,

Working for peace to save people from violence

Aspiring for safety of all,

Aspiring for a world free from injuries

By changing policy and design,

Distinguishing himself to be the best in the world

Yes, in a season of losses, some lives stand tall and

Prof. Mohan stands the tallest

A true scientist, a true humanist

Who valued every life

One more victim of the virus

Taken away from us this day at break of dawn

Of May 21st, 2021

Congress MP and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh also tweeted to pay his tributes.