India caps helmet weight at 1.2kg

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Weight capped at 1.2kg, but heavy helmets flood shops

TNN | Feb 6, 2019, 07.01 AM IST

Weight capped at 1.2kg, but heavy helmets flood shops

CHENNAI: Dual visors, anti-allergic coating, washable liners, graffiti in fluorescent colours and a premium price tag that your friends can’t see — your new ‘imported’ helmet may stand apart like your high-end bike and that faux leather riding jacket bought online, but if it weighs more than 1.2kg and does not have the Indian Standards Institute (ISI) mark, its use is illegal.

Last July, the Union road transport ministry had capped the weight of helmets at 1.2kg. It was reduced from 1.5kg and January 15 was set as the deadline for sellers to exchange old stocks.

But when TOI visited stores in Chennai, it found that helmets weighing more than 1.2kg were being sold. Salesmen at stores in Thousand Lights and T Nagar said the helmets were imported from the US and UK and quoted `4,500 or more per piece. There were Indian makes too that were lighter and sold between `1,000 and `2,000.

When TOI inspected these imported helmets, it found that none had the ISI mark as mandated by the government and courts. When asked, a salesman said the helmets were certified by US department of transportation and “don’t need an ISI mark”. “The city traffic police are not keen on checking if they are ISI certified or not,” said one salesman at T Nagar.

Kamal Soi, member of the Bureau of Indian Standards committee which finalised the helmet specifications, said weather and traffic conditions were different in European countries when compared to India. “Double padding might be required to handle the excess cold. Also, two-wheeler use is less and riders have designated lanes. But in India, 72% use two-wheelers and we can’t use those models in hot and humid conditions,” he said.

Wearing a heavy helmet has health hazards too. Dr R Kannan, neurologist at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, said the spine took the additional load when a person rode a two-wheeler. “Helmets save the head. But a heavy one may strain the rider’s neck. It is micro-trauma and one may see no symptoms until the disc gives way and nerves get compressed. By that time damage is done and pain is usually severe,” he said.

A professor from Institute of Road and Transport Technology, Erode, said lighter helmets with better strength were available and manufacturers have begun making them. “The perception that heavier helmets will save you from bigger impact is completely wrong. The sellers shouldn’t exploit buyers on these lines,” he said.

Advocate V S Suresh, who handles road accident cases, said sellers should display the weight of the helmet clearly. “And since the government is mandating helmets for riders and pillions, it should focus more on enforcing rules pertaining to standard specifications effectively,” he said.

Responding to this, a senior official from the state transport department said officials would take action erring shops.
 

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