City learns after Salt Lake death, kids’ helmet sales up
Times of India | 26 November 2024
Kolkata: The sale of children's helmets have risen significantly in the past few weeks, according to vendors at the wholesale marketplaces. Most of the vendors stated that despite previous reluctance due to low demand, last few weeks have witnessed increased consumer interest.
Manas Barua, who runs wholesale and retail operations, stated that retailers are now including children's helmets in their standard orders along with adult sizes.IPL 2025 mega auctionIPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how muchIPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise"The production is based on demand. But, in the recent past we have seen a surge in the purchase of helmets for kids," he said.
A seven-year-old child visited Barua's shop with his father, Md Zhakir Ahamed, for their maiden helmet purchase. "His school is within a walking distance from our house but there are several other places where he travels with me, on a two-wheeler. So, for his safety, I felt the need to buy a helmet for him," Ahamed explained, after visiting multiple shops.
Wellington's wholesale helmet merchants traditionally avoided stocking children's helmets, but shop owner Ajay Jaiswal indicated that prices had increased due to heightened demand.
Binita Chakraborty, managing her family business, said, "We have two types of kid's helmets according to their age — five-seven years and seven-eight years. But nowadays parents are buying helmets for kids who are as small as three. So, according to the demand, production is also increasing."
The market offers ISI-certified local options and branded helmets.
Following a Feb 15, 2022 notification from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, helmets became mandatory for pillion-riding children under four years of ages, amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
Govt data reveals 2,700 children under 14 and 14,000 under 18 have died in road accidents during 2020-22, with 5,868 fatalities near educational institutions.
An officer emphasised that children face various road risks, with unintentional injuries, particularly road accidents, being the primary cause of death. The new regulations represent significant progress in child safety.
"We have started addressing parents across multiple schools about the need to wear a helmet and be responsible for their child's safety. Not wearing a helmet puts the child at risk. It is something that all the parents should understand," said an ACP.
Consultant physiotherapist Puspaketu Konar advised, "Chances of head, scull injuries are quite higher for kids. And it is because of this reason that they must wear helmets while riding on a bike. The size of the helmet should be proper, and good quality materials should be used to provide ample protection."