Enjoy riding bicycles? Did you cognize the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has travel up with a circumstantial modular for helmets for cyclists, skate boarders and roller skaters — for the archetypal time, and it is coded “IS 18808”. The determination by BIS to nudge each stakeholders to beforehand ISI-marked helmet is important for a state wherever helmet usage for non-powered vehicles is lone voluntary (bicycles bash not travel nether Motor Vehicles Act).
G. Bhavani, elder manager and caput of Chennai subdivision of Bureau of Indian Standards, says BIS has brought this modular successful 2025 exclusively for bicycle riders, skateboarders and roller skaters. In April, the Bureau conducted its archetypal consciousness store successful Chennai and continues to scope stakeholders including cycling groups specified arsenic WCCG - Chennai Cyclists, Cycling Yogis and Chennai Runners.
“Through Manak Manthan, a monthly inaugural of BIS, we instrumentality up a modular that was precocious revised oregon formulated oregon is nether development. We scope retired to each stakeholders including consumers, manufactures, regulators and laboratories for suggestions. Manufacturers of this merchandise tin use for BIS certification for this caller Indian Standard, for which BIS is successful the process of reaching retired to the applicable associations for raising awareness,” says Bhavani.
BIS certification gives an assurance of prime of the merchandise to the consumer.
“We certify aft the manufacturers conscionable definite criteria. Later, the institution is allowed to manufacture and marketplace the helmet with an ISI mark,” says Bhavani.
In Chennai, astir cycling and moving groups beforehand usage of helmets.
“In each our radical rides and events, 1 happening is wide — “no helmet, nary ride”, says Sudarsana Rao of Vibrant Velachery.
Rao notes that if determination is simply a regularisation by the authorities past usage of helmets and its standards volition besides improve.
“Unlike the helmets worn by motorcyclists, not everybody sells rhythm helmets. They are lone disposable successful specialised shops and are antithetic from the ones utilized by motorcyclists,” says Rao, adding that Clubs specified arsenic theirs tin bash a batch to beforehand helmet use.
Most bicycle helmets are made utilizing PVC, polystyrene and allied material. They are durable, lightweight yet robust and committedness reliable performance.
Bicycle retail outlets enactment a bulk of helmets sold by them are imported and travel with bully information standards, with prices from ₹3,500 onwards. “Manufacturing helmets for cyclists is simply a niche marketplace and unless determination is bully measurement determination whitethorn not beryllium galore takers,” says Ashwin G., partner, 5AM Bicycle Studio.
Helmet manfacturing companies constituent retired determination volition beryllium a marketplace successful India arsenic galore cities are creating cycling infrastructure and determination is greater consciousness astir the benefits of this eco-friendly mode of transport.
“Today, we are mostly babelike connected the overseas marketplace for helmet design, which indispensable change,” says Bijoy Bharathan, wide manager, Turtle Helmet. The Government indispensable besides trim the GST connected information gears specified arsenic helmets truthful arsenic to promote much radical to bargain one, says Bharathan.
Lessons from different parts of the globe
Quality helmets trim the hazard of decease by implicit six times, and reduces the hazard of encephalon wounded by up to 74%, says a study by World Health Organisation.
However, availability of affordable helmets is simply a obstruction for immoderate people. In its toolkit connected promoting cycling and walking, WHO notes that ensuring effectual helmet usage requires measures specified arsenic processing and passing helmet-use legislation, nationalist education, and progressive instrumentality enforcement.
Many countries person introduced mandatory helmet laws for cyclists, including children. For example, Australia was among the archetypal to present nationwide helmet regulations successful the aboriginal 1990s. Canada and Argentina enforce helmet usage for cyclists successful definite regions and the Netherlands requires helmet usage lone for e-bikes that transcend the velocity bounds of 25 km. These policies are typically portion of broader roadworthy information strategies aimed astatine reducing traffic-related injuries.
