New ISI helmet standard introduced

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has just introduced a new standard for motorcycle helmets in India. From January 15, 2019, manufacturers will have to ensure that the maximum weight of their helmets will be 1.2kg, instead of the current 1.5kg.

According to the transport ministry, the sale of non-standard helmets will be an offence. The new helmets will also specify that they are meant for motorcyclists; this move will reduce the number of bikers who try to bypass the law by wearing ISI-marked industrial helmets instead of helmets designed specifically for bikers.

Commenting on this development Rajeev Kapur, President of the ISI Helmets Manufacturers Association said, “This step will help bring down the number of fatal road accidents and will curb malpractices and the sale of spurious and fake roadside helmets.”

While it is known that the new helmets will be lighter, there is not much known about the quality of testing they will go through. We believe lighter helmets will convince more people to use them, but we hope the reduction in weight won't affect quality.

Many well-known international helmet brands that comply with external testing agencies like DOT, ECE, SNELL and Sharp weigh around 1.3 to 1.5kg. In fact, there are some helmets which meet all the international standards and weigh less than 1.2kg. These, however, are made from carbon fibre and high-quality composite materials, and they cost a bomb too.  

Read our review of one of the world’s best helmets – the Arai RX-7X Pedrosa helmet.