The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry on Wednesday issued new guidelines for children riding pillion on two-wheelers.
The new rules for two-wheelers make it mandatory for children up to four years of age to wear a crash helmet or a bicycle helmet while riding pillion. The rules also make it mandatory for children up to four years riding on a two-wheeler to wear a harness.
According to a notification issued by the ministry, "Safety harness is a vest to be worn by the child, which shall be adjustable, with a pair of straps attached to the vest and forming shoulder loops to be worn by the driver. This way, the upper torso of the child is securely attached to the driver. A feature by which this is achieved is by attaching the straps to the back of the vest and crossing the straps over the vest so that two large crossing-over loops are formed that pass between the legs of the passenger and child sits on the seat of the two-wheeler."
The specifications of safety harness are that it should be light weight, adjustable, waterproof and durable. It should have heavy nylon, multi-filament nylon material with high density foam with sufficient cushioning and be designed to hold a weight of up to 30 kilogram.
The notification says that the driver shall ensure that the child pillion passenger aged between nine months and four years must wear his own crash helmet which fits his head or wear bicycle helmet.
Besides, the speed of a motorcycle carrying a child up to four years of age as a pillion shall not be more than 40 kmph. The ministry had first proposed these norms in last October. The new rules will come into effect from 2023.
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