Centre's new rules for children riding pillion on two-wheelers: Helmet and safety harness a must

Children between the ages of 9 months and 4 years riding pillion on two-wheelers, will have to wear a helmet and a safety harness attached to the rider from February, the Union transport ministry said.

Amending Rule 138 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, the Centre notified that the speed of a motorcycle with a child up to the age of four years being carried on the pillion will not be more than 40 kmph.

The new rules will come into force after one year from the date of publication of the Central Motor Vehicles (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022.

"The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, vide notification dated February 15, 2022 has amended Rule 138 of CMVR, 1989 and has prescribed norms related to safety measures for children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motorcycle," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.

"This has been notified under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which mandates that the central government may, by rules, provide for measures for the safety of children below four years of age, riding or being carried on a motorcycle. Further, it specifies use of a safety harness and crash helmet. It also restricts the speed of such motorcycles to 40 kmph," the ministry said.

In the same slew of announcements, the ministry also made it mandatory for heavy vehicles carrying dangerous or hazardous goods to mandatorily have vehicle tracking device systems.

For children below four years, safety harnesses shall be used for attaching the child to the driver of the motorcycle, the ministry said. 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 ministry said.

With inputs from agencies

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