Police: Half-face helmets not valid, will attract fine

Those caught with half-face helmets will be booked for “not wearing a helmet,” warned Cyberabad traffic officials. Halfhelmets hardly provide protection, as these cover only the top of the head, say senior traffic officials and road safety experts. They said they would will send notices to bike companies which are offering a free half-face helmet upon purchase of their vehicles.

“A detailed analysis of fatalities has revealed that a major number of deaths of two-wheeler riders/pillion riders are because they are either not wearing a helmet, are wearing a half-face helmet or a low-quality helmet,” observed Cyberabad Traffic Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) S. Vijay Kumar. As per law, any individual aged above four years should wear a helmet while travelling on a motorised two wheeler.

According to traffic officials and road safety experts, half-helmets are only useful at building sites and not when driving.

“When an accident occurs, the face and every part of your head below the crown are exposed to potential injury. Half-helmets are also much more likely to fly off the head on impact, even if the chin strap is well-secured,” traffic officials maintain.

“Special drives against half-helmets are a welcome move, as these products do not do the job of saving the head in a bike accident. Half helmets or construction headgear will surely not help people escape head injuries,” opined a road safety expert.