Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification floating the draft rules for amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The draft rules focus on safety of children in the age-group of 0-4 years being carried on motorcycles. The draft rules propose safety harness, helmets mandatory for safety of children, and also limit the speed of motorcycle at 40 km/hour if a child is being carried on it. Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act was amended on August 9, 2019. As per the second proviso in the section, “Provided further that the Central Government may, by rules, provide for the measures for the safety of children below four years of age riding or being carried on a motorcycle”. Accordingly, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways issued a notification on October 21, 2021 regarding draft rules focussing on safety of children. As per the draft rules, for children below four years of age, safety harness shall be used ‘for attaching the child to the driver of the motorcycle’.

 

“The driver shall ensure that the child pillion passenger aged between 09 months and 4 years must wear his/her own crash helmet, which fits his/her head or wear bicycle helmet complying with [ASTM 1447]/ [European (CEN)BS EN 1080/BS EN 1078] (standards) till such time that the specifications are prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016,” add the draft rules. Further, the speed of the motorcycle with the child upto age four years of age being carried as a pillion, ‘shall not be more than 40 kmph’.

 

The safety harness mentioned in the draft rules is an adjustable vest to be worn by the child, with a pair of straps attached to the vest and forming shoulder loops to be worn by the driver. Such a safety harness should be light-weight, adjustable, waterproof, and durable, heavy nylon/multi-filament nylon material with high-density foam, and shall be designed to hold weight up to 30 kg. The draft rules shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of ‘30 days’. The Ministry has invited objections/suggestions, if any, to draft rules. The objections/suggestions may be sent to Joint Secretary (MVL, Transport & Toll) at the Ministry office in Transport Bhavan, Parliament Street, New Delhi or on the email id [email protected].