Dinesh Mohan

While a graduate student at University of Delaware (UD) in mechanical and aerospace engineering between 1967 and 1970, he studied under JL Nowinski, Jack Vinson, Herbert Kingsbury and Barry Schneider, who, he said, each left an indelible mark on the importance of fundamental understanding of engineering principles.

He credited the foundation he gained at UD in solid mechanics with influencing his career in biomedical engineering, especially his work on the mechanical properties of hard and soft tissues.

Both, he underscored, require strong background in non-linear anisotropic materials and dynamic impacts.

From the University of Delaware he moved to the University of Michigan to obtain a PhD in Bioengineering.

While there he worked at the Highway Safety Research Institute (now University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute) with pioneers Professor Don Chaffin in ergonomics, Dr. John Melvin and Dr. Richard Stalnaker in impact biomechanics and was influenced on science and society issues by Professor John Platt.

While there he worked on biomechanics of injury to the chest, lower limbs and human soft tissues.

Mohan launched his career as a senior bioengineer with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Washington D.C. He came under the influence of the institute's president, Dr. William Haddon, widely considered the guru of injury control and safety science.

At the institute he worked closely with Brian O’Neill, Allan Williams and Leon Robertson, who are considered international authorities on road safety.

There, he conducted and published the first real-world assessment of airbag effectiveness in frontal crashes of General Motors cars.

His work there also impacted the evolution of regulations requiring children to be secured in a back seat.

He moved to India in 1979 to join the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where he served as State Bank Chair for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation between 1981 and 1991; He served as the Henry Ford Chair for Traffic Safety Biomechanics (1996–2005) and then Volvo Chair for Transportation and Planning and Safety (2007–2015).

Mohan is also credited with 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, safety of three-wheeled scooter taxis, and bringing national attention to burn injuries caused by fireworks during the Diwali festival in India and agricultural injuries due to farm machines.

Mohan was also active in the human rights movement in India.

He co-authored reports on communal violence in many cities in India, human rights violations in Kashmir, reports on the destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Bhopal gas disaster, and the burning of the railway carriage in Godhra, Gujarat.

Mohan was a member of People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) from its inception in 1980 and took active part in its activities.

While he participated in numerous PUCL activities in the 1980 – 1990’s, his greatest contribution was as one of the four member citizen’s Fact Finding and investigative team formed jointly by People's Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR) and People's Union For Civil Liberties to enquire into the anti-Sikh riots which swept across Delhi in the wake of Indira Gandhi’s assassination.

Participating on behalf of the PUCL, Mohan played a key role in drafting the report, "Who are the guilty? - A Report of a Joint Inquiry into the Causes and Impact of the Riots in Delhi from 31st October to 10th November, 1984".

It studied the outbreak of violence in which around 3000 innocent Sikhs were brutally killed.

He was head of Centre for Biomedical Engineering (1991–1996), Coordinator of the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (1998–2010) and head, W.H.O. Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Safety Technology at IIT Delhi (1991–2010).

He was also Director, Independent Council for Road Safety International (www.icorsi.org).

Mohan died from COVID-19 on 21 May 2021 at the age of 75 in St. Stephen’s Hospital, New Delhi.

Mohan was in Rajiv Gandhi's batch at The Doon School.

Mohan was one of the world's leading experts on traffic safety issues and human tolerance to injury.

His work has significantly advanced motorcycle helmet design, pedestrian and bicyclist safety and child restraint regulations, and helped develop safer ways for various modes of transportation to safely share the roadways.

He and his colleagues are responsible for bringing the world's attention to the importance of the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists internationally and popularising the term 'vulnerable road users' in reference to these road users.

His group has contributed to national and international policies on traffic safety, and Indian policies on urban transportation.

He along with his team helped develop policies on safer fireworks, agricultural equipment like fodder cutters and threshers, school bus designs, motor vehicle and helmet standards.

He was a founder member of the Pakistan India Forum for Peace and Democracy which was established in 1994.

From 2010 to 2015 he was Emeritus Volvo Chair Professor for Transportation Planning & Safety at IITD.

He was distinguished professor at Shiv Nadar University, Gautam Buddha Nagar (India) from 2016 to 2018.

Dinesh Mohan was honorary professor at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) since 2017.