Wearing protective helmets made mandatory

25 February 2017 12:54 pm Views - 8691

Transport and Civil Aviation Minsiter Nimal Siripla De Silva yesterday issued a gazette notice making it mandatory all motorcyclists including pillion riders to wear a protective helmet which does not conceal any part of the wearer's face.

According to the new regulations the helmet should fit the wearer’s head and secured with a chin strap. The helmet would be fitted with a visor not made of a tinted or coloured material with the face exposed and unobstructed peripheral vision.

“When a protective helmet is worn, no part, extension or attachment thereof, shall obscure, conceal, or distort any portion of the face of the wearer. The protective helmet and chin strap shall be one single unit without any sharp edges, sharp points, joints or bolts around it,” the gazette notification said.

"The colour of the protective helmet shall be 90 per cent of a single colour that is easily visible without any light reflecting from its outer surface. Every protective helmet worn by a person who rides motorcycle shall conform to Sri Lanka Standard 517 of 1994 or such standards that may be applicable for protective helmets from time to time. The ministry said no person shall use or sell or offer for sale any helmet that does not conform to the provisions of these regulations for the purpose of riding a motorcycle on any road except for riding a motorcycle at a motorcycle race." (Thlanka Kanakarathna)