Opinion - Safety Harness Mandatory For Kids On Bike - Right Move?

It’s said that the sight of an Indian family (father, mother and two kids) riding on a two-wheeler in heavy traffic prompted Ratan Tata to start work on a people’s car which was affordable and that’s how the Tata Nano was born. It’s quite a common scene on Indian roads to see kids sitting on fuel tanks, or standing on the footboard or even sitting facing the opposite side on two-wheelers with their parents. Given that India has the highest road accidents and fatalities globally, many kids are part of this sad statistic. According to a new circular all RTO (Regional Transport Offices) (RTOs) In Karnataka, it’s mandatory for riders to secure children under the age of four years with a harness on two-wheelers. Failing which the rider will be penalised ₹ 500 for the first offence and ₹ 1,000 for subsequent violations. The government of India had planned to introduce the above law in 2021 but it was never officially implemented.

So what’s a safety harness?

The safety harness is like a vest which will be worn by the child with adjustable straps and it’s connected to the rider, who has to wear it around their waist like a belt. The harness ensures that the child is securely held against the rider and doesn’t fall off the vehicle by losing grip or dozing off, something which is very common with kids. Such safety harnesses are available online and cost between ₹ 500 to ₹ 2,000.

Should young kids be allowed to ride pillion?

To a certain extent, the harness will help in improving safety for kids on two-wheelers. But the crucial question should a child under the age of four years even be allowed on a two-wheeler? In my opinion, such young children shouldn’t be riding pillion on two-wheelers as they are restless by nature and are very difficult to control while riding. Their situational awareness is very low in the event of a mishap and more importantly while the rider can get away with minor injuries in the event of a crash whereas the same impact can be fatal to children.

The other big pain point is helmets, first up it’s very tricky to make a small kid wear a helmet all the time and it can get uncomfortable for them. More importantly finding a helmet that will fit a kid’s head snugly, offer the right amount of protection while being cost effective is an even bigger challenge.

Ideally a kid should be close to 10 years old before they should be allowed to ride a pillion on a two-wheeler. By this age they are more mature in their thought and understanding of risks, are more alert and can react by themselves in the event of a mishap, and helmets for this age group are available and they understand the safety aspect better.

Better be safe than sorry

While the government can make new policies and try their best to improve the safety of kids, it all boils down to the decisions made by their parents. Parents need to understand the risks that two-wheelers pose for young children, and take an informed decision of using other modes of transport for the betterment and safety of their children. A safety harness in this regard is more of a stop-gap solution as it doesn’t ensure that a child is completely safe in the event of a crash.