Non-ISI Helmets Banned in India: With effect from June 1, 2021, the sale and use of non-ISI helmets have been banned in India. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued a notification “Helmet for riders of Two Wheeler Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020” back on November 26, 2020. The notification stated that all 2-wheeler helmets sold in India must be ISI-compliant and comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
According to the details revealed by the Indian Government, the manufacturers, sellers, or importers of non-ISI helmets can face a minimum fine of INR 1 lakh or imprisonment of one year. If you are wearing a helmet that doesn’t have a BIS certification/ISI mark, you will be liable for a penalty. As per the norms announced in 2020, imported helmets will also need to comply with ISI norms before being sold in the Indian markets. The additional certification requirement could result in a price hike for the imported helmets.
With this step, the era of cheap roadside helmets will soon come to an end. The move does not just benefit the common man but also brings a large customer base to Indian brands that preferred safety over cheap ways of manufacturing. For the people who still think that the quality of a helmet doesn’t matter, poor-quality helmets are filled with the lowest quality foam that cannot even protect an inch of your head in case of an accident.
Road safety in India is a questionable affair. You will find large pools of two-wheelers running everywhere but complying with almost no safety benchmark. As India is more prone to cost-effective manufacturing, people everywhere are producing huge amounts of useless products that are nothing more than replicas with zero amount of safety and quality.
ISIHMA (ISI Helmet Manufacturers Association) believes that around 75% of two-wheeler riders in India use non-ISI helmets for daily use. These products are not just of low quality but can also bring additional harm through their own non-tested parts.
In case of a collision, these helmets will break at any moment and would not even resist any of the force from that impact. Also, parts like Visor and screws from non-ISI helmets can break or damage their own structure and can cause severe injuries to the rider. A maximum number of fatalities are caused due to head injuries and a lot of riders still ignore this basic safety need in India.
Helmets that are ISI certified start well under INR 1000. These helmets are highly comfortable, lightweight and made specially by keeping city rides under consideration. Brands like Studds, Vega, and Steelbird dominate this segment with products that start as low as INR 850. Riders can choose from the open-face, full-face and hybrid helmets around this price range. These last much longer than non-ISI helmets and have practical features like a customizable visor, washable interiors, certified chin straps and much more.
