ISLAMABAD: While the government, after the court’s directions, is trying to ensure the use of helmets by motorcycle riders, however, the helmets available in the country are substandard, making no difference in riders’ safety, study suggests.

As per tests and study conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology, millions of helmets both locally manufactured and imported are not up to safety standards. Not only the helmets are poor in quality but in most of the accidental cases, they have proved to be dangerous for the wearers.

As per the documents, in around 24 cases of motorcycle accidents in Karachi, the lives of riders were lost due to serious injuries to the head due to sub-standard helmets. The study further suggests that the safety standards used in the making of such helmets in the world are largely ignored in Pakistan.

The issue of safety of motorbike riders was first raised by Young Doctors Association in Punjab who approached Lahore High Court (LHC) after noticing the increasing number of accidents of the two-wheelers causing losses to lives on daily basis.

The LHC had later issued directives banning the sale of fuel to motorcycle riders who were not wearing helmets in Lahore.

In order to tackle the security risks to motorcycle riders with no helmets on the roads, LHC judge Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi warned petrol stations that they will be sealed and sanctioned if they do not implement the new directive.

Later the sale of fuel to non-helmet wearing riders was also barred in Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lower Dir and Quetta.

The poor quality and standard of helmets were also noticed when the authorities concerned started discussing options of making the helmets mandatory for every rider.

Following the case, at LHC a department of Ministry of Science and Technology, Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) held a meeting of a Technical Committee in Lahore on December 27, 2018, in which all stockholders including the motorcycle manufacturers were invited to give their input on the safety of motorcycle riders.

The technical officials of PSQCA had informed the meeting about a number of safety methods in the helmet including required density of form inside the helmet and 6 critical points which could be life-threatening in accidents if ignored during manufacturing. The meeting was informed that all the presently available helmets were not meeting the safety standards.

As per documents, PSQCA Head of Technical Team Dr Shahzad Afzal informed the stakeholders that issuance of SRO to include helmets in the mandatory list of PSQCA has already been in progress. Moreover, the draft for revision of Pakistan Standards specification for a protective helmet for two-wheeler motorcycle was presented for discussion and suggestion.

In the meeting, Professor Dr Nasir Hayat, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore informed that the development and testing of helmet design as per requirement of Pakistan is in the process under his supervision and it will be concluded and finalised within two months.

The meeting of stakeholders had also appreciated the efforts of Young’s Doctors Association (YDA) for the betterment of the society and requested the future cooperation and sharing of data by YDA, Traffic Police and transport department to minimize the road accidents.

Apart from the helmet issue, other safety issues related to motorcycle riders were also discussed in the said meeting. Mayo Hospital Lahore Senior Registrar of Plastic Surgery Dr Muhammad Azeem briefed the house that 21 per cent increase in motorcycle accident patients was recorded in Mayo Hospital as compared to last year.

He stated that as per record of the hospital it was observed that injuries occurred due to spoke wheel, the nonexistence of chain cover and silencer fell within category III to IV.

He further explained that it was also observed that 53 per cent accident patients were wearing slippers, and 4 per cent were without shoes. He also suggested the house to consider the amendment in motorcycle regarding incorporation of wheel cup and silencer cover to minimize the accident ratio.

Dr Azeem requested manufacturers as well as regulators (i.e., PSQCA, Road Transport authorities) to ensure the incorporation of safety features in two-wheelers to avoid accidents. Moreover, he also explained that head injuries were reported and that can be avoided with the usage of “quality helmets”.

Atlas Honda Limited Head of Corporate Affairs Sadullah Ejaz, in his presentation, briefed the meeting regarding the accidents of motorcycle riders due to modification of silencer (exhaust gas muffler), fender, chain cover.

He explained that the design of motorcycle in Pakistan is in accordance with international standards and motorcycles are basically designed for a maximum of two passengers including the driver. All the safety requirements such as seat size and footrest are as per the need of two passengers.

He further briefed that most of the accidents and injuries occurred due to modification of silencer and removal of chain cover by the user.

He also stated that as per requirement of Pakistan Standards specification PS 4707:2010(R) the back-view mirror is mandatory for motorcycles and all assembler are providing back view mirror but mostly user remove the back-view mirror which as a result is one of the major reason of road accidents.

ADIG Traffic Police Punjab DSP Tariq Azim briefed that the mostly motorcycle accidents occurred due to over speeding and negligence of the driver.

He stated that as per motor vehicle ordinance the maximum speed of 70-80 kilometres per hour is allowed within the city for a motorcycle.

However, he stated that motorcycles with speedometers having a speed of 120 km per hour and 140 km per hour for 70cc and 125cc respectively are being manufactured and assembled in the country. He requested the house and motorcycle manufacturers and assemblers to incorporate the speed controller in motorcycles to restrict over speeding.

Kausar Automobiles General Manager Imtiaz Hussain explained that the Pakistani motorcycle market is based on acceleration competition and people are attracted towards higher engine capacity motorcycles as compared to 70 cc bike.

Transport Department Punjab Motor Vehicle Examiner Lahore Ejaz Ahmed suggested that there is a need to incorporate the Pakistan Standard specification in motor vehicle ordinance in order to check the fitness of motorcycles and in case of motorcycle accident speed injuries analysis is required to identify the solution and remedies of the problem.

According to sources, after the detailed deliberation with the stakeholder, the Ministry of Science and Technology, through its additional secretary, has recently submitted proposals and findings to LHC.