India Makes Safety Harness and Helmet Mandatory for Children Riding Pilllion on Bikes

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways made it necessary for children aged nine months to four years to wear a crash helmet and a safety strap when being driven on a bike. 

The regulations will go into effect one year after the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022 are published. "This has been announced under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which mandates that the Central government may, by rules, provide for safeguards for the protection of children under the age of four riding or being carried on a motorbike," the ministry said in a statement. The government also mandated that such motorcycles not exceed a speed of 40 kilometres per hour.

A safety harness is a vest that the youngster wears and is adjustable, with a pair of straps connecting to the vest and forming shoulder loops that the driver wears. This allows the child's upper body to be firmly linked to the driver. Attaching the straps to the back of the vest and crossing the straps over the vest creates two huge crossing-over loops that travel between the legs of the passenger and the youngster sitting on the seat of the two-wheeler. The ministry also stated that the protective gear, including the safety harness, should be lightweight, adjustable, and waterproof