[arunphilip]

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification stating that manufacture, storage and sale of non-ISI helmets for 2-wheelers will be an offence and can lead to arrest without warrant.

Naturally, the enforcement of this will be much more visible and aggressive against B&M shops that stock quality international helmets (Bells, Arais, etc.), helmets that comply with other international regulations for head safety norms, which can be equated to ISI.

Enforcement against roadside/cart shops will be far more fluid, when it is often those helmets that provide the illusion of safety.

It would have been forward-thinking if the ministry had also published some notification that certain international safety standards can be equated to ISI and those manufacturers can apply for an ISI seal in an easier & friction-free manner.

Forget that, it would have been rational if they had even put in some manner of a sunset clause to allow vendors to meaningfully dispose of existing stock.

But hey, "forward thinking" and "government" (any govt), what am I thinking? I am so glad that I've sold my two wheelers, and put those days behind me.

[MaheshY1]

Did I forget to mention that it's stupid?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ride-s...ml#post4433372

[Amey Kulkarni]

If it was not enough! Now this!

As per the recent notification issued by the Road Transport and Highway Ministry, manufacture, storage and sale of non-Indian standard (NON-ISI) Helmets for two-wheelers will lead to arrest without warrant. While for a first offence the penalty would amount to two years jail or fine of at least Rs 2 lakh, subsequent offences would attract a higher fine. This will be applicable from next 60 days.

Link - https://www.thrustzone.com/absolute-...nned-in-india/

Cheers,
Amey

[Roy.S]

With a considerable degree of foresight that might at times be mistaken for 6th sense, I had bought two helmets. One is a RE branded Vega which is ISI certified. The other is a far superior HJC which lacks this hallowed certification.
After a lot of flexing of the grey cells I have a plan. The most cunning plan ever devised by a rider who likes to keep his head intact while simultaneously being a law abiding citizen. My plan is to keep the HJC on and enjoy my ride at speeds which thrill ( within the speed limits, obviously ). All this time, my Vega would be hooked to the rear seat with a helmet clamp. On spotting a police checkpost I shall pull over and switch helmets. Then at a safe speed of 40kmph (considering the limitations of the Vega) I shall pass the checkpost with a nod of acknowledment to the men in uniform who I am confident will smile and nod back.
Having done my bit as a responsible citizen I shall then pull over again, switch helmets and get back to enjoying my ride.

[bhansali_hardik]

Originally Posted by Roy.S

With a considerable degree of foresight that might at times be mistaken for 6th sense, I had bought two helmets. One is a RE branded Vega which is ISI certified. The other is a far superior HJC which lacks this hallowed certification.
After a lot of flexing of the grey cells I have a plan. The most cunning plan ever devised by a rider who likes to keep his head intact while simultaneously being a law abiding citizen. My plan is to keep the HJC on and enjoy my ride at speeds which thrill ( within the speed limits, obviously ). All this time, my Vega would be hooked to the rear seat with a helmet clamp. On spotting a police checkpost I shall pull over and switch helmets. Then at a safe speed of 40kmph (considering the limitations of the Vega) I shall pass the checkpost with a nod of acknowledment to the men in uniform who I am confident will smile and nod back.
Having done my bit as a responsible citizen I shall then pull over again, switch helmets and get back to enjoying my ride.

and then they tell India is not a tolerant nation. We, specially in Bangalore can be monks! We pay highest of everything on road; including tolls. We burn our hard earned money to fuel the politicians and bureaucrats. But hey! in the end adjust maadi. Because, that is the only way of life we know.

[Caramba]

Originally Posted by Amey Kulkarni

If it was not enough! Now this!

As per the recent notification issued by the Road Transport and Highway Ministry, manufacture, storage and sale of non-Indian standard (NON-ISI) Helmets for two-wheelers will lead to arrest without warrant. While for a first offence the penalty would amount to two years jail or fine of at least Rs 2 lakh, subsequent offences would attract a higher fine. This will be applicable from next 60 days.

Link - https://www.thrustzone.com/absolute-...nned-in-india/

Not sure if this is correct. The department has put out a draft notification for comments and responses. And the time period for this consultation is 60 days. Unable to post the link for some reason. But it is up on the ministry website.

[Vasuki]

There is an update as reported in Motroids. Joint secretary(Transport) states that the ministry would conult with BIS( Bureau of Indian Standards) and take a amicable solution


Link :: https://www.motoroids.com/news/non-i...orted-helmets/

[Ironhide]

This news is making waves in most automotive circles. I was thinking(and hoping) that Shubhabrata Marmar, a widely respected automotive journalist and a passionate motorcyclist will have put forward two cents on what he thought of the proposed law. And he did. As usual, it hits the nail on the head, succinctly.
(Though I was also hoping that Riderzone, a member here, will , in his own inimitable and hilarious take, dissect the pros and cons of the proposed law)

Here's the article by Shumi.

http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/o...en-make-sense/

A few important parts from the article.

OPEN LETTER: DOES THE BAN ON SALE AND MANUFACTURE OF NON-ISI HELMETS EVEN MAKE SENSE?

Firstly, thank you. I believe this law is overdue and I also encourage the police departments to enforce this law strictly. Without that, this law will be another one for the books, without making any impact in the real world.

But I do have a few suggestions and objections to what is in the law.

The weight clause
I have had the opportunity to look at helmets and the laws and standards governing closer than the average Indian citizen as part of my work.

I am surprised that you would add a 1.2kg weight clause to the law. The BIS standard already specifies that lighter helmets are preferred but 1,500g is the maximum standard-meeting weight.

The reason why this clause hurts me is simple. I have worn the absolute best helmet I can afford for every single day ever since I started riding professionally. That means the best materials go into every single component of the helmet. The best helmets in the world average around 1,500 grams in weight - most likely because most standards converge on that as the maximum permissible weight.



As someone who regularly wears them for ten hours or more as part of my job, I submit that a well-balanced helmet, heavy as it is by your proposed standards, far exceeds the comfort offered by the 1.2kg Indian made helmet. In that sense the weight the law proposes has no correlation to whether the helmet is comfortable or not.

It feels like this arbitrary weight limit was created to pander to the Indian helmet manufacturers who have a vested interest in disallowing internationally established brands from entering and operating in the Indian market. Most of these brands meet the global standard - 1,500g. In essence, instead of supporting a vibrant market, you might inadvertently be becoming complicit in what feels like a plan to manipulate the law to the advantage of specific entities.

I suggest, sir, that this part of the regulatory environment isn't broken so we don't need to fix it.

An exemption requested
When I studied the Indian helmet and visor standard as published by the Bureau of Indian Standards, I noted two things. First, if memory serves the committee that created the law has no motorcyclists on it, which strikes me as odd. And yet, back in the day, the committee was astute enough to realise that they were not equipped to make a law. And they did the right thing by sticking very close to the best helmet standard available at the time, the ECE 22.03, the European helmet standard at the time. Full credit to them for making a good judgement call.



It also means that all ECE 22.05 helmets will, almost automatically, exceed the BIS standard.

However, today, the Indian standard lags behind the global standard. It is widely accepted that Europe has not only the best standard but also the most stringent testing and certification program. Enforcing an older standard when better information and materials are available puts us, the serious motorcyclists at a disadvantage when your law comes into effect.

In the car and motorcycle market, vehicles that exceed a certain set of conditions - usually connected to the engine size - are allowed to present a global vehicle certification instead of having to be homologated for Indian roads.

The logic for this is that the Indian citizen's freedom to choose isn't restricted, the vehicle is safe, and since these vehicles tend to be expensive, they not only earn the government revenue but also sell in small numbers so as to not have a large impact on local industry.

I propose that you have a similar exemption clause for helmets also. Helmets that meet, for example, ECE 22.05, or whatever is the latest standard, should be exempt from the requirement of meeting BIS certification after the manufacturer or their Indian representatives completes the basic paperwork.

I believe the law disallowing the manufacture and sale of non-standard helmets is required as soon as possible. But I urge you to consider the best interests not only of the people who refuse to wear helmets, but also the citizens who are wearing the world's best protective equipment without having to be told to do it. Please don't force us to wear protective equipment that doesn't meet the world's best standards and by extension the standards we set for our protective equipment

Cheers !

Article and Pictures Courtesy : www.overdrive.in

[marcussantiago]

https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...-months-409279


"According to a recent notification issued by the Road Transport and Highway Ministry, manufacturing, storage and sale of non-Indian Standards Institute (non-ISI) certified helmets for two-wheelers will lead to arrest without warrant. Penalty for first offence would amount to a two-year jail term or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh. As this move will be applicable after two months, dealers have a grace period to liquidate their existing stocks.

"This move comes soon after the introduction of the new ISI standard that was announced last month. Coming into effect from January 2019, the new standard directs helmet manufacturers to limit the maximum weight of their helmets to 1.2kg, instead of the current 1.5kg.

...

"According to the transport ministry, the sale of non-standard helmets will be an offence. The new helmets will also specify that they are meant for motorcyclists; this move will reduce the number of bikers who try to bypass the law by wearing ISI-marked industrial helmets instead of helmets designed specifically for bikers.

...

"However, this ruling also has its repercussion, with Kapur added that, “Even leading international brands who were exporting helmets to India as per European and US standard will now have to adhere to ISI standards. They will not be able to sell otherwise.” This means, well-known international brands like Arai, Shoei, AGV and HJC will be illegal till they adhere to ISI standards, despite them already complying with international testing agencies like DOT, ECE, SNELL and Sharp.

"The government’s move, though well-meant, comes as a damper to a growing number of bikers who are willing to invest in international-spec and better-quality helmets that are safer than the ISI-standard ones."



See also:

Open letter: Does the ban on sale and manufacture of non-ISI helmets even make sense? - Overdrive


http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/o...en-make-sense/

"It feels like this arbitrary weight limit was created to pander to the Indian helmet manufacturers who have a vested interest in disallowing internationally established brands from entering and operating in the Indian market. Most of these brands meet the global standard - 1,500g. In essence, instead of supporting a vibrant market, you might inadvertently be becoming complicit in what feels like a plan to manipulate the law to the advantage of specific entities..."

"I do have a solution. In the car and motorcycle market, vehicles that exceed a certain set of conditions - usually connected to the engine size - are allowed to present a global vehicle certification instead of having to be homologated for Indian roads.

The logic for this is that the Indian citizen's freedom to choose isn't restricted, the vehicle is safe, and since these vehicles tend to be expensive, they not only earn the government revenue but also sell in small numbers so as to not have a large impact on local industry.

I propose that you have a similar exemption clause for helmets also. Helmets that meet, for example, ECE 22.05, or whatever is the latest standard, should be exempt from the requirement of meeting BIS certification after the manufacturer or their Indian representatives completes the basic paperwork."

There is also a Change.org petition making the rounds:

https://www.change.org/p/isi-india-better-helmet-laws

Personally, I wouldn't trust an ISI helmet to protect my fragile brain in an accident any more than a paper bag with eye-holes cut into it. Does anyone even know how (or if) ISI tests their helmets? Am I the only one that thinks this is a shameless cash grab to force Indians to buy ISI helmets to the extent of punishing those who opt for anything superior?

Perhaps this is India's answer to the overpopulation crisis. China had a one child policy in effect for a few decades, maybe this is how India plans to reduce its exploding population - by targeting people who love to ride a bike

Hopefully this whole fiasco will blow over. If not, I'm wondering what course of action those of us who value our craniums should take. A friend of mine suggested we get "ISI" stickers printed out from a local printer and sticking them onto our LS2 / HJC / Bell etc helmets in order to avoid getting arrested and fined for the crime of buying and importing a helmet that protects your brain from injury, instead of one that protects your wallet from a chalaan while being a fashionable elbow accessory while riding.

/rant
//apologies for said rant
///I've had too much coffee

[Axe77]

Combined with the new 1.2 kg limit it is clear that this is led by the Indian helmet lobby.

It boils my blood that rules can be played with even at the expense of lives of law abiding citizens who want to adopt the best self imposed safety standards.

[SchumiFan]

I just invested 9K on a MT Atom Modular helmet this evening. I have an almost dummy looking helmet that will fit my big head for regular use. I plan on using this MT on long rides.

Like the OP's friend mentions, I'll have to get an ISI sticker and put it on that maybe. Although I am not sure how they plan on implementing this rule. Lack of helmet will warrant a pull over from cops but they could target any fancy looking one since they surely wouldn't be ISI certified.

The difference in quality of the MT vs the normal one is massive. I feel secure just wearing it even before riding a bike. It is snug and feels light as well.
Will test it out on a ride soon. My first big money helmet purchase

[Abhishek3001]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

A friend of mine suggested we get "ISI" stickers printed out from a local printer and sticking them onto our LS2 / HJC / Bell etc helmets in order to avoid getting arrested and fined for the crime of buying and importing a helmet that protects your brain from injury, instead of one that protects your wallet from a chalaan while being a fashionable elbow accessory while riding.

I would suggest that anyone should refrain from using fake ISI stickers as it is punishable by imprisonment and hefty fines.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

Does anyone even know how (or if) ISI tests their helmets?

In the LINK (Helmets: Testing Procedures & Standards), I have given the data related to Helmets Testing and Standards, you can find ISI too in the list.

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

A friend of mine suggested we get "ISI" stickers printed out from a local printer and sticking them onto our LS2 / HJC / Bell etc

Not worth doing it. Risk factor is high.

[SoumenD]

Does this ruling only cater to sale or users too are under the purview? Is the previous stay on non-ISI(DOT/ECE) helmet ban lifted now and its a blanket ban on anything non-ISI?

I use an LS2 since last 8 years which has actually saved me from a brutal crash once. Can't expect the ISI one to be as good.

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by Abhishek3001

I would suggest that anyone should refrain from using fake ISI stickers as it is punishable by imprisonment and hefty fines.

Wouldn't that apply only if one is trying to sell a non-ISI product as an ISI one? I believe applying an ISI sticker to a product that I own is no different than applying stickers like BMW, Audi etc. on a Bajaj Auto/a Maruti Alto.