Study finds low helmet usage among children in Chennai

Study by CAG reveals low child helmet usage in Chennai, highlighting lack of awareness and enforcement of safety laws.

According to the Central Motor Vehicles Amendment Rule in 2022, children between nine months to four years of age must wear either a crash helmet or bicycle helmet, but in reality, very few children are actually using helmets, according to a study by the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), a non-profit organisation.

The CAG conducted a study from December 2023 to January 2024 to understand the helmet usage among children in Chennai. The findings revealed that among the 520 respondents, approximately 25% (129) reported that their children used helmets. Of these 25%, 88% said their children owned their own helmet, while the remaining 12% said their children used adult helmets.

Additionally, among the 25% of respondents whose children wore helmets, around 66% had a second child. Of this subset, around 84% of the parents stated that they had only one helmet for both children. Reasons cited for this included the other child being too young to wear one.

Talking about awareness and perception of parents, Sowmya Kannan, researcher, urban planner, and architect, said around 28% of respondents were unaware of the rule mandating the usage of helmets for children. Even among those who claimed they knew about the rule (373 respondents), approximately 70%, admitted to not adhering to it. About 26% of respondents were unaware of the ISI certification for helmets. Among those whose children wore helmets, 36% mentioned that ISI certification did not influence their purchasing decisions, she said.

Out of the total 145 shops surveyed, 48% were street vendors and 52% retail outlets. Only 54% of these shops stocked helmets for children, accounting for slightly over half. “Strict enforcement of child helmet laws is crucial and should involve surprise checks at various locations, including local streets,” said Ms. Sowmya.

The survey also noted that to enhance access to helmets for children, the Tamil Nadu Transport and Road Safety Commission should take steps to boost the production and availability of standard helmets in stores.