New Delhi: The Centre is planning a nationwide crackdown on poor-quality driving helmets, a leading cause of road deaths and head injuries, two people aware of the development said.
India has the highest number of two wheelers in the world, and some the most dangerous roads, making for a dangerous mix for cyclists, and scooter and motorcycle drivers as well as pillion riders.
The union consumer affairs ministry in a communication to states, reviewed by Mint, directed district magistrates to crack down on vendors selling helmets without the ISI certification.
The ISI mark is a standards-compliance mark for industrial products in India. It certifies that a product conforms to an Indian standard developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
Data from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) reveals that with 63,115 accidents and 25,228 deaths, two-wheelers accounted for the highest number of road accidents and fatalities in 2022.
Rise in accidents and fatalities
This represents a 20.4% increase in accidents and a 10.7% rise in fatalities from the previous year’s 52,416 accidents and 22,786 deaths.
“It has been observed that sub-standard quality helmets without the mandatory BIS certification are being sold on the roadside, resulting in the loss of many lives in road accidents,” the first person said citing the contents of the letter written to all district magistrates.
“There is an urgent need to take strict action against manufacturers operating without a BIS license or using fake ISI marks, as well as retailers selling these products to unaware consumers, violating the law,” this person added.
According to Prince Singhal, road safety expert and founder of Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD), helmet use is a crucial measure to prevent injuries and save lives. High-quality helmets can reduce the risk of death by over six times and mitigate the risk of brain injury by up to 74%.
Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing drunk driving and promoting road safety.
“Alarmingly, almost 50% of helmets currently in use are sub-standard. Civil society organizations should be involved to authenticate the existing helmets and discard them, if necessary,” Singhal said.
As per the second person, all district magistrates have been directed to personally launch a special campaign against manufacturers and retailers of sub-standard helmets to protect consumers and ensure their safety.
The letter emphasized, the second person said, the importance of enforcing the quality control order and laws in the district, suggesting that this initiative could also be integrated with the road safety campaign.
“The government’s mandate for certified helmets for all two-wheeler riders is a step in the right direction. Manufacturers should also provide two standard-quality helmets (one for the rider and one for the pillion) with each two-wheeler sold,” Singhal said.
Currently, only one helmet is provided at the time of purchase of a two-wheeler.
Queries emailed to consumer affairs ministry remained unanswered till press time.