Cost of safety: Helmet prices range from ₹120 to ₹5,000 in Bengaluru

There is no dearth of people who buy helments just to avoid being caught by the traffic police. But a heartening recent trend, according to Mudassir M.S., who has a helmet shop in Madiwala since 2017, is that more people are now concerned about quality.

There is no dearth of people who buy helments just to avoid being caught by the traffic police. But a heartening recent trend, according to Mudassir M.S., who has a helmet shop in Madiwala since 2017, is that more people are now concerned about quality.

“The highest price of the helmet which we have is ₹5,000 and in terms of half helmets the highest price is ₹ 1,500,” he said. He pointed out that the non-standard half and full helmets (ISI marked) start from ₹550, while the branded half and full helmets (ISI marked) start from ₹ 899. 

Mudassir said that usually residents buy cap helmets which cost ₹120, to save themselves from the police. “However, surveillance cameras will catch them and fine them eventually,”  he said. With a life of six months for local helmets and a minimum of two years for branded helmets, people also think of longevity.

Charan and Karan Nachappa, of Moto Brothers, Koramangala, had a different price range for standard and non-standard helmets. “The price for local and branded, half and full-face helmets starts from ₹800 and ₹1,200, respectively,” they said. However, they said there are some high-end branded helmets with the starting price of ₹5,000.

“Cap helmets are mostly to avoid police, not safety,” Charan explained. He also added that with increasing awareness and concern for pillion safety, the sales of children’s helmets have shot up. “Children’s helmets, which are made by some brands, start from ₹1,025.” The Karnataka government has made it mandatory for all children above the age of four years to wear a helmet on a two-wheeler.  

Charan also pointed to a downward trend in the helment market.

“There are almost 50 retailers in J.C. Road who sell the helmets at competitive prices, leading to a comparison by customers due to no standardisation of price. On average, retailers must earn ₹1,800 in a day to survive in the business. Wholesalers with more than 5,000 helmets sell them to roadside sellers for a 1% profit but retailers cannot do that. Besides, the lack of operation cost is also one of the reasons why there is a disparity between roadside sellers and retailers,” he said while explaining the disparity between prices of helmets in shops and on streets.