Government to bring in newer norms for premium helmets in India
The government has addressed the need for a superior and safer safety standard of helmets and will soon have another standard for helmets set above the current one. The new standard of the helmet will cater to the superior quality headgear which is in particularly mean for high-speed riding.
"We should not deny the sale of a superior quality helmet if it's safe. So, there is nothing wrong in going for another standard. However, anyone importing helmets from outside will have to get the BIS certification to sell them in India. BIS certification is not possible unless we have a notified standard," said a government official.
The new norm will be in addition to the already notified norms by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the helmets that weight up to 1.2 kgs. The norm was set when a government-appointed multi-disciplinary panel recommended making the helmets lighter by 300 gms and airer to make it more user-friendly. However, some importers of the helmets that meet the European norms objected the weight restriction that was implemented by BIS.
It's said that the issue of allowing heavier helmets in the Indian market would mandate BIS certification for helmet manufacturers and retailing non-BIS helmets would be an offence.
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