Safety harnesses shall be made compulsory for those children who are between the age of nine months and within four years on two-wheelers.
Union Government Orders Mandatory Safety Harnesses for Children on Two-Wheelers
As per the sources from the transport department, there is an order from the Union government stating that the safety harnesses are mandatory. Notably, it has not yet been implemented but work is ongoing towards its implementation as well as creating the awareness around the same.
There are high chances of children to fall from two-wheelers if the safety harnessed are not used.
In India, children are made to sit on top of fuel tanks in case of bikes and in case of scooters are made to stand up in the footrest space. In both cases when the brakes are applied, there are chances for children losing balance and falling from running vehicles. It is in this case that safety harnesses can be instrumental since the child is attached to the rider.
Another issue with children is that unlike adults, they tend to fall asleep during the ride. This further increases the chances of falling down. What happens in this case is the guardians then use one hand to hold the child, and other to drive the bike or scooter.
Karnataka Transport Department Launches Awareness Campaign for Safety Harnesses on Two-Wheelers
The Officials of the transport department of Karnataka have started to create awareness about the importance of safety harnesses.
At the moment, awareness programs are being held at some of the Deputy Commissioners’ offices and soon it will spread to all the DC offices in the state. As per the sources, discussions are ongoing to rope in the education and police departments to create awareness and enforce the rule.
Once enough awareness is created, fines shall be imposed by the transport department officials on those who do not comply.
The safety harness should be of Bureau of Indian Standards and should have straps to adjust to the size and weight of the child (up to 30 kg).
