From Rs 700 to a few thousands, helmets are available in every price range, colour and style. CE takes a look at the helmet trends in the city, why Chennaiites buy their safety gear and where they repair it.
CHENNAI: From fining errant riders to making defaulters wear T-shirts with a message promising to wear helmets, Chennai traffic cops are trying every trick in the book (and outside of it) to make two-wheel riders wear protection — for their heads! CE brings you a refresher course on the types of helmets that are available in the market, how to choose one and the science of repairing it.
There are four main types of helmets — half face, full face, flip model and sports model. You also have the egg-shell model. “Most adults — both men and women prefer full face, while the young girls and the elderly prefer half face. Flip and sports model are opted by college boys,” shares Nazeem, First Edition Exclusive Helmets & Accessories, about the trend.
The preferred brands are Vega, Studds, Steelebird, Wrangler and Volga. There is one common trend all the shopkeepers have seen. “People don’t want to buy helmets for safety. If that was the case, then half face and eggshell models would not be available in the market. But that’s what customers want. They want it for show and also for the cost; the cheaper the better. Many buy helmets to avoid being caught by cops,” says Arif Shahid of Sikander Motors.
Types & costs
In the past decade, newer models have been introduced in attractive colours too. “There are a lot of colours that match the bike colour. Neon colours like green, orange, metallic blue and pink are preferred by women,” says his co-worker Aafrin Farzana. Helmets in India come with ISI certification and it is something you need to look for before buying one. The Indian models are priced from `700 onwards. There are high end helmets too, and are sourced from the US.
These helmets come with a DOT (Department of Transportation of North America) certification. But it is a misconception that these are only biker helmets. Says Joan Prakash of Spartan Pro Gears, “Helmets here are unisex and DOT certified. There are different sizes (S, M, L, XL and 2XL). We have two varieties depending on a rider’s needs — one for daily commute and the other for long rides. The latter is light weight and has a Bluetooth set in for navigation.” They are full-face, quite broad and have heavy padding. Thanks to the weather and pollution, many people don’t prefer this. “When you wear them, it seems like you are getting suffocated, but as you use it will loosen up,” he avers.
Why repair, buy new!
During accidents the shell, impact absorber and inner padding gets damaged. And once it is damaged all the dealers warn against repairs. Yet, there are certain minor repairs that can be done and it is done mostly in lining shops. “We assess the helmet before working on it. Most Chennaiites buy helmets worth `400 (non-branded) to `1000 (branded).
We mostly repair the visor and padding. The repair costs begin from `250,” says R Manoharan, owner, Jothi Lining Industries. “It is always advisable to go for a new helmet than to repair the old one because, well, safety matters. If it is just the visor it is fine. But if the whole helmet needs reworking, then we explain the effects to customers.” He procures the padding materials from Bengaluru, New Delhi and Faridabad. “In New Delhi, you have helmet repairers on the road and there are many. Here there are few; that’s why we get at least 10 helmets everyday for repair,” he adds.
Pillion riders & kids
While wearing helmets is compulsory for riders, it isn’t for pillion riders. Even kids do not need to wear a helmet. “Our government has not specified any rules for making helmets for kids. A helmet is based on strength and weight and the weight does not meet the requirement for kids. And logically, it is hard to make helmets for kids as they grow till 18. Yet, companies have started making helmets taking an average size,” claims Nazeem. “Not many prefer it as even these helmets cost the same as adults’ helmets. As the helmet is heavy, it can cause problems for kids.”
New in the market
Skully, an international brand has brought out helmets with cameras on it. A camera is set behind the helmet and you have viewer lens a la Google glass. This helps in identifying hit and run cases. The camera records what is happening behind and in case of accidents, you have proof. Based on customers’ request, some helmet sellers fi t small fans and a cooling device inside the helmet to relieve them from suffocation.
Different certifications