Life-saving helmets for a low price?

KOCHI:  Even as the police claim that 98 per cent of the two-wheeler riders in Kochi use helmets, figures reveal that more than 50 per cent use low-quality  helmets, thus contributing to the number of accident deaths of two-wheeler riders. In a clear violation of the Supreme Court order of June 2010, the majority  of bike riders in the city wear helmets that are not certified by the Bureau of Indian Standard (BSI).
When spoke to different helmet retailers, it came to light that  the majority of the Kochiites prefer helmet priced below `300. With more than 12   lakh two-wheelers registered in the city and at least more than half on the  roads at any given time of the day, the mandatory requirement of helmet  comes to about 10 lakh pieces, said sources with the Motor Vehicles  Department.
“There are helmets with prices ranging from Rs 175 to Rs 3,500. Most of the customers prefer  helmets priced between Rs 200 and Rs 400. Generally, the price of BIS-certified helmets starts from Rs 500. Most of them are least concerned about safety and  just want to escape being caught by the police. We have to sell low-quality  helmets because the demand for such is very high. There are several vendors who sell helmets that have no quality certifications,” said Vinod, a helmet retailer, at Kaloor.


Half Helmets in Demand


Half helmets are becoming more common as they are cheaper than full-face helmets. “The price of half helmets starts from Rs 100 and branded one comes at Rs 1,300. But, half helmets are not safe as in case of a collision the face of  the rider gets completely damaged. It only protects the upper part of the  head whereas the back remains vulnerable,” Vinod said.
According to Dineesh Kamath, a neuro -physician, in case of mishap there is 70 per cent chance of brain injuries if helmet is not used.
“Surviving a brain injury is most difficult and even in case of survival, recovery is difficult. It may also lead to severe paralysis and chances are that the patient enters a vegetative state. Many have averted major brain injuries by using good-quality helmets,” Dineesh Kamath said.
An official at the Edappally Traffic Police Station said: “First let  us enforce the rule stipulating use of helmets. The quality of the helmets in use can be checked later.”
Admitting that the helmet worn by a rider should be of the quality prescribed by the Motor Vehicles Department, he said it was not easy to  detect the duplicate and the original.
“We lack the right knowledge to identify the duplicate helmets. It is too  early to initiate quality checks,” official said.