Special Drive against substandard helmets

     New Delhi, October 26, 2024: In a bid to enhance road safety and protect consumers from substandard helmets, the Department of Consumer Affairs of the Government of India has written to all District Collectors to launch a nationwide campaign targeting manufacturers and retailers who sell non-compliant helmets for two-wheeler riders.

     This initiative comes as a response to the growing concerns over the quality of helmets available in the market and their critical role in safeguarding lives on the road, official sources said.

     Needless to mention, helmet is critical product and manufacturing of substandard/non-lSI helmets adversely impact the safety of life.

     Till date, there are 162 licenses of manufactures of helmets that have been cancelled/expired.

     Besides, till date total 27 search and seizure have been conducted on misuse of BIS Standard Mark/Violation of QCOs in regards to 4151:2015 and cases are filed in various courts.

     While emphasising the need to spread awareness among citizens on the matter, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs Nidhi Khare said, “Helmets save lives, but only if they are of good quality. This initiative is crucial in removing unsafe helmets from the market and educating consumers about the importance of BIS-certified products. We urge all stakeholders to actively participate in this campaign for the safety of our citizens.”

     It has come to light those substandard helmets, which lack the requisite BIS certification, are being sold on the roadside. This poses a severe risk to public safety and has been linked to numerous fatalities in road accidents. Therefore, there is an urgent need to tackle this issue head-on, she said.

     The Government calls for strict enforcement against manufacturers operating without BIS licenses or using counterfeit ISI Mark, as well as retailers peddling these non-compliant products to unsuspecting consumers. Consumers can verify whether a helmet manufacturer is licensed by BIS through the BIS Care App or by visiting the BIS website.

     The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has enforced the Quality Control Order (QCO) as of June 1, 2021, mandating that all helmets comply with the BIS standard IS 4151: 2015. Any helmet manufactured or sold without this certification violates the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. It has been observed that many helmets sold on roadsides lack the mandatory BIS certification, posing significant risks to consumers.