The government, as per its latest 2-wheeler helmet norms, has banned the sale of head protectors without the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification and the Indian Standards Institution (ISI) mark.
Put into effect from 1st June, the regulation was notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) back in November 2020 under its “Helmet for riders of Two-Wheeler Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020.”
Thus, an individual found riding a 2-wheeler without a helmet bearing the ISI mark will be prone to prosecution from now on. Also, through this move, the government aims to stop the sale of low-quality 2-wheeler helmets in the nation.
According to the MoRTH notification, anyone who manufactures, stores, retails or imports non-ISI helmets will be liable to face imprisonment (ranging from 1 year) as well as a fine of Rs. 1 lakh which can be increased to Rs. 5 lakhs.
Ultimately, the new 2-wheeler helmet norms should put an end to sub-standard helmets being sold on the roadside and by small vendors all over India.
Usage of helmets which offer proper protection would help wearers avoid fatal head injuries in the case of a road accident and would potentially save many lives.
However, the new norms do not state anything about imported crash helmets that come with DOT, ECE and Snell certifications. It might be that such helmets also require BIS certification and the ISI mark, but as things stand, that part needs more clarification.
