The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has updated the Motor Vehicles Act to make it compulsory for two-wheeler riders to wear a strapped or ISI-marked helmet.
Contents
Penalties
Failure to do so will attract a fine of up to Rs 2,000.
If the rider is caught wearing a helmet with the straps untied, a fine of Rs 1,000 can be charged.
Further, if they wear a helmet that does not have a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification or the ISI mark, it will attract a challan of Rs 1,000.
Approved Helmets
Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1998 states that every person, above four years of age, driving or riding a motorcycle in public must wear protective headgear conforming to the standards of Bureau of Indian Standards.
It must be securely fastened to the head of the wearer by means of straps or other fastenings provided.
Rules For Protecting Children
The new rules come ahead of the government soon making the use of a helmet mandatory even for children below the age of 4 years along with a safety harness securing them to the rider.
The new rules have added speed restrictions of up to 40 kmph for a motorcycle carrying a child up to the age of four years as a pillion.
They were prescribed in a notification issued on February 15, 2022, and will come into effect next year.
Rajiv Kapoor, MD, Steelbird Helmet, welcomed the government’s move and said that there are thousands of local helmet manufacturing companies that manufacture non-ISI mark helmets.
Good Helmets Cheaper Than Fine
The penalty should discourage people from buying such helmets, as a result of which the production and sale of non-ISI marked helmets of local degraded standards will stop.
He said that it is a common sight to see Indian riders use construction helmets, cricket helmets, and plastic caps to avoid fines.
But with the imposition of the fine, they should take the rules seriously and opt for good quality and branded helmets of around Rs 1,000 instead of a fine of Ra 2000.
Wearing The Helmet Properly
Simply wearing a helmet is not enough, though.
If it is worn with the strap or chin fastener loose or unbuckled, it defeats the purpose of the safety headgear.
Also advisable is, even in case of a minor fall, replace the damaged helmet to ensure its structural integrity is maintained for safety.
International-Certified Helmets
The government’s rules do not clarify what happens in case one wears imported helmets that come with international certifications like DOT, Snell, or ECE.
Serious riders and professional racers typically opt for helmets with the very best protection which may come with international certification.
However, since they are not branded with the BIS/ISI mark, they can be deemed “low quality” and illegal by enforcers.
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