Government To Make BIS Certification Mandatory For All Helmet Makers; Only Five Per Cent Certified Now

The government is expected to bring helmets under the BIS Act soon, thereby mandating quality certification before they are sold to the public, reports Economic Times (ET).

If “protective headgear” is brought under the ambit of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) act, then only those helmets that pass quality standards set by the Bureau will be sold in the country.

This move will ensure unorganised players who account for 70 per cent of the 20 million units-a-year helmet market comply with quality standards. The government has already notified new BIS norms for two wheeler helmets in the organised sector.

“The government is planning to announce a rule to make ISI helmets mandatory and has introduced new BIS standards for two wheeler helmets, which were to be implemented from January 15 this year,” said Rajeev Kapur, president of the Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association and MD of Steelbird Helmets.

“It received an extension first up to April 15 and then till July 15. Currently, there are 219 companies in India, out of which only nine have taken the required certification so far,” added Kapur. In other words, only five per cent of all manufacturers in the country comply with safety norms.

Bringing Back From Cold Storage

Though the government has readied Helmets (Quality Control) Order 2018 to mandate BIS certification for all helmets, it is still only a draft and has not yet been notified.

Also Read: Not Nano; The Alternative To Unsafe 2-Wheelers Is A Bike With 3 Wheels