Apart from helmets, government has also mandated the use of a adjustable safety harness for kids riding pillion on two-wheelers in India.
The central government has mandated the use of helmets for kids riding pillion on two wheelers in India. Govt has asked helmet manufacturers to make helmets for kids as per their size as well. Also, an adjustable safety harness has to be worn by children for their safety. Under the new rule, any violation will attract a fine of Rs 1,000 and a three-month suspension of the driver’s licence.
The new rules have been proposed via an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 and will cover children up to the age of four years. Any two-wheeler with kid on it will have to travel at a maximum 40-km per hour speed limit. The central government earlier proposed to mandate the use of a safety harness and helmet for children riding pillion on two-wheelers and issued a draft notification in October 2021 to ask citizens their opinion on the matter.
While the government has asked Indian helmet makers to manufacture kids helmets, according to their size, the safety harness will come with a pair of straps that form shoulder loops and will secure the child to the driver. As per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the harness will have to be light weight, adjustable, waterproof and durable.
The harness will be built using heavy nylon or multifilament nylon material with high density foam and can hold weight of up to 30 kg. As for the kids below four years, they will have to wear crash helmet or a bicycle helmet, complying with the standards specified by the government.
