The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has recently issued a notification declaring that only BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)-certified two-wheelers' helmets will be manufactured and sold in India from June 2021. This step will help to diminish the sales of low-quality helmets available in the market, which would eventually protect the riders from fatal injuries in case of an accident.
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India is a huge market place for two-wheelers. A total of 1.7 crores (approximately) two-wheelers being manufactured in India every year. Hence, considering this good competition in the Indian markets and with numerous helmet manufacturers, now it is presumed that the competition would let for good quality and lighter helmet demand. As per the reports, the BIS has also revised specifications for the helmets.
Back in 2018, a detailed report was submitted by a Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety. The Committee had experts from various fields, including expert doctors from AIIMS and also from BIS. In that report, the committee urged lighter-weight helmets in India to suit the country's climatic conditions, and that for ensuring compliance among citizens to wear the helmets. The committee suggested lowering the maximum allowed weight of a helmet to 1,200gm and the Ministry accepted the report. But with this move, a large number of imported full-face helmets wouldn’t be allowed to be sold in the country. Hence, they have to shift towards lightweight materials like carbon fiber that can effectively spread the force of the impact. But this would eventually increase the prices of these imported helmets. However, in the recent notification, MoRTH hasn't given any clarity on whether the recommended 1,200gm helmet weight limit has been considered or not.
