A survey by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) found that three out of every four children in the city ride without helmets. Of the 520 parents surveyed, 457 (88%) said they knew helmets are lifesavers for children, yet 391 of them did not buy them.
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Tamil Nadu ranked first in driver accidents caused by not wearing helmets and fourth in passenger accidents in 2022. In Chennai, 8.9% of road accidents involving two-wheelers in 2023 were due to not wearing helmets. A recent study conducted by the traffic police revealed that 47% of pillion riders in the city travel without helmets. The compliance rate was even lower among children, police said.
CAG researchers said parents are aware, but they do not understand the importance of helmets for children. “Parents wear helmets, but say children feel uncomfortable wearing them or else they say they are expensive. Some even say children do not need them,” said Soumya Kannan, author of the recently released survey.
The CAG researchers found that of the 129 people who owned and used helmets, 44% used bicycle helmets. The rest wore smaller sizes of adult helmets — half shell, half face or full face. “Adult helmets do not provide adequate protection for children. While bicycle helmets provide better coverage, they may not work for high-speed vehicles,” she said.
According to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, it is mandatory for children above four years of age to wear BIS compliant helmets. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 2022, children between the ages of nine months and four years are allowed to wear cycle helmets. However, the survey found that children up to 17 years of age wear cycle helmets while riding pillion.
Paediatricians say children are vulnerable road users because of their limited physical and cognitive development. “Children are at a higher risk of serious injury in case of a road accident. Parents must force their children to wear helmets,” said Dr Indira Jayakumar, senior paediatrician at Apollo Specialty Hospitals.
Researchers said that many shops do not even sell helmets for children. Of the 145 helmet shops surveyed, 78 do sell helmets for children, but due to low demand, only 39 shops are able to sell about 10 children’s helmets every month.
Despite laws that prohibit more than two people from riding two-wheelers, many parents believe they can allow children to sit between adults. “Parents believe children don’t need helmets if they sit between adults. Some parents think their children are safe if they are held by adults,” said T Inbaraj, a former assistant commissioner of police. The survey said the government should promote the production and availability of standard helmets in shops. A few weeks ago, the traffic police distributed 1,000 free helmets to children to create awareness. road safety Experts say that including helmet education in the school curriculum can emphasize the importance of helmets among children.
A survey by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG) found that three out of every four children in the city ride without helmets. Of the 520 parents surveyed, 457 (88%) said they knew helmets are lifesavers for children, yet 391 of them did not buy them.
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Tamil Nadu ranked first in driver accidents caused by not wearing helmets and fourth in passenger accidents in 2022. In Chennai, 8.9% of road accidents involving two-wheelers in 2023 were due to not wearing helmets. A recent study by the traffic police revealed that 47% of pillion riders in the city travel without helmets. The compliance rate was even lower among children, police said.
CAG researchers said parents are aware but do not understand the importance of helmets for children. “Parents wear helmets but say their children feel uncomfortable wearing them or they say they are expensive. Some even say their children don’t need them,” said Soumya Kannan, author of the recently released survey.
The CAG researchers found that of the 129 people who owned and used helmets, 44% used bicycle helmets. The rest wore smaller sizes of adult helmets — half shell, half face or full face. “Adult helmets do not provide adequate protection for children. While bicycle helmets provide better coverage, they may not work for high-speed vehicles,” she said.
According to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, it is mandatory for children above four years of age to wear BIS compliant helmets. According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 2022, children between the ages of nine months and four years are allowed to wear cycle helmets. However, the survey found that children up to 17 years of age ride pillion wearing cycle helmets.
Paediatricians say children are vulnerable road users because of their limited physical and cognitive development. “Children are at a higher risk of serious injury in case of a road accident. Parents must force children to wear helmets,” said Dr Indira Jayakumar, senior paediatrician at Apollo Specialty Hospitals.
Researchers said that many shops do not even sell helmets for children. Of the 145 helmet shops surveyed, 78 do sell helmets for children, but due to low demand, only 39 shops are able to sell about 10 children’s helmets every month.
Despite laws that prohibit more than two people from riding two-wheelers, many parents believe they can afford to allow children to sit between adults. “Parents believe children don’t need helmets if they sit between adults. Some parents think their children are safe if they are held by adults,” said former assistant commissioner of police T Inbaraj. The survey said the government should promote the production and availability of standard helmets in shops. A few weeks ago, the traffic police distributed 1,000 free helmets to children to create awareness. Experts said incorporating road safety education in school curriculum could emphasise the importance of helmets among children.
