Hyderabad: Helmets are the first line of defense for bike riders, yet many people choose inferior headgear over Bureau of Indian Standards-approved helmets because it is less expensive, putting their lives and the lives of others at danger.
According to the Cyberabad Annual Round Up report, only 44 of the 415 motorcycle riders killed in 2022 were wearing helmets at the time of the accidents. When asked if the certification of a helmet is reviewed after a tragic accident, a source from the traffic police department stated that it is handled by the law and order police, not them.
"There is no way to tell if a helmet is BIS certified from a distance. A traffic cop will have to manually stop each rider to look for the BIS mark, which is time-consuming, T. Srinivas Rao, Cyberabad's deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) told Deccan Chronicle.
The Central government has mandated that all helmets show the ISI mark issued by the BIS. However, with no regulation or penalties against use of non-BIS certified helmets, several two-wheeler riders wear substandard and unauthorised open-face and half-helmets, which can be fatal in the event of an accident.
Experts say that BIS-certified helmets protect the skull against injuries, blood clots, and any other injuries to the head. A high-quality helmet provides a good chin strap retention and penetrating capabilities.
People prefer inexpensive helmets sold by vendors on pavements in order to save money. Many riders interviewed by Deccan Chronicle blamed the exorbitant prices for not choosing BIS-certified helmets and preferring headgear sold on the wayside.
"A non-branded roadside helmet cost me Rs 300 and kept me safe for more than two years, even during a minor accident," a rider who just switched to a BIS helmet explained. These low-quality helmets are extensively sold around the city, including Uppal, Mettuguda-Tarnaka stretch, Nampally, Trimulgherry, and several other places. Another issue is that pillion riders frequently ride without a helmet, increasing their risk of being seriously hurt or even killed in an accident.
V.D. Philip, a bike rider, said he recently bought a Rs 2,000 helmet and noted that a basic helmet starts at Rs 1,500 and goes up to Rs 8,000, while specific brands and styles of helmets can cost a lakh or more, but are mostly used by racers.
Though BIS-approved helmets are more expensive than non-approved helmets, the rider believes that using cheaper helmets made of inferior materials can cost one's life in the long run. Meanwhile, authorities assert that they are actively encouraging people to stop wearing non-standardised helmets for a safer ride.
