Govt plans nationwide crackdown on faulty helmets to reduce road deaths
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.
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
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