High Court: Kids On 2 Wheelers Must Also Wear Helmets
The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to ensure that helmets and safety harnesses designed specifically for children are available for two-wheeler users. The order responds to a public interest case which pointed out that, while helmets are mandatory for all riders and pillion passengers, children often travel without proper head protection because child sized helmets are rarely stocked in shops. In many families, youngsters either ride bareheaded or use loose fitting adult helmets that do not offer real protection.
The court noted that the law already requires every two-wheeler rider and passenger to wear a helmet. However, the rules do not spell out how manufacturers and retailers must support this requirement for children. Most helmet makers have focused on adult sizes, which means parents willing to follow the law often cannot find helmets that fit their children correctly.
Child helmets and harnesses part of the order
The bench has asked the Road Transport Authority to work with helmet manufacturers, two-wheeler dealers and retail chains so that child sized helmets are readily available across Karnataka. The authority has been told to define stocking norms for outlets, frame price guidelines that prevent profiteering on safety gear and run awareness drives aimed at parents.
Data placed before the court shows that children account for about 15 percent of two-wheeler accident casualties, even though they form a smaller share of the overall rider base. Many of these cases involve serious head injuries such as skull fractures, brain contusions and internal bleeding. The court pointed out that these injuries are often linked to the lack of proper helmets and that child passengers are more vulnerable because of weaker neck muscles and developing bones.
The directive also covers child specific safety harnesses. These harnesses are designed to distribute impact forces across the body and reduce the load on the skull and spine in a crash. Unlike improvised straps or belts, purpose-built harnesses include neck support, chest protection and padding that reflect the different body proportions of children compared to adults.
Price, availability and awareness key
A major concern raised in court was that even when child helmets are available, they tend to cost more than adult models. Purpose designed helmets for children can be 30 to 50 percent more expensive per unit, largely because of lower production volumes and the need for specialised tooling. The High Court has therefore asked the authorities to ensure that prices remain reasonable. It suggested measures such as subsidised sales or price caps so that lower income families are not priced out of basic safety gear.
The order also recognises that availability alone will not solve the problem. There are long standing misconceptions among parents, including the belief that a child sitting on the rider’s lap does not need a helmet or that helmets are uncomfortable for short trips. Awareness campaigns will have to counter these ideas and stress that even low speed falls can cause severe brain injuries in children whose skulls have not fully hardened.
Implementation hold the key
Putting the directive into effect will require coordination between several government departments, helmet manufacturers, dealers and retailers. Clear enforcement mechanisms will be needed to ensure that shops actually stock child helmets and that traffic police apply the helmet rule uniformly to adults and children. Without defined responsibilities, there is a risk that each agency assumes someone else is in charge.
The court referred to practices in countries such as Australia, Singapore and some European nations, where laws already mandate age-appropriate helmets for children and require shops to stock them. These examples show that such rules can work when supported by regulation and enforcement.
The High Court has not fixed a strict deadline for implementation, which leaves some uncertainty about how quickly the changes will happen. The long-term success of the order will depend on how seriously the state acts on stocking norms, pricing oversight, public education and on road enforcement. If those pieces come together, the ruling could significantly increase helmet use among child pillion riders and reduce the number of serious head injuries involving children on two wheelers in Karnataka.