News feature: Helmet Act to be strictly enforced

By Vicente W. Villavert

Wednesday 27th of June 2012

ILOILO CITY, June 27 (PIA) -- The mandatory enforcement of the use of standard protective motorcycle helmet is scheduled on July 31, this year as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) heighten its information and education drive in Iloilo City and in several parts of Western Visayas.

Marlon L. Veles, Chief of Law Enforcement Unit of the LTO 6 said that the Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009 states that all motorcycle riders, including drivers and backriders, shall at all times wear standard protective motorcycle helmets while driving, whether on long or short drives, in any type of road and highway.

Veles said that the LTO’s lack of manpower is not a hindrance in enforcing the law because “we have deputized agents at the local government units’ traffic unit and also with the Philippine National Police to enforce this RA 10054.”

Mario U. Gaudiano, engineer, of DTI’s Bureau of Product Standards, enlightened the motorcycle riders, traders and dealers of the importance of RA 10054 at the recent Information and Education Campaign on standard helmets and visors conducted by the DTI and LTO.

Gaudiano explained that protective helmet is intended to primarily protect the wearer’s head against impact. It is in the form of a hard outer shell that is designed to protect the cranial areas of users in the event of a collision, crash or fall.

Quality helmet must also include good retention system, a complete assembly that maintains helmet position on the head and prevent it from flying off the wearer’s head during quick head movements or accident.

“It should also feature comfort padding for the wearer’s comfort, and protective padding in order to absorb the impact of energy,” Gaudiano said.

He also warned motor riders to use only appropriate type of helmets that comply with the specifications issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.

DTI 6 Regional Director Dominic Abad said during the press conference that the use of helmets will help minimize injuries and or lower fatality rate of motor riders in any vehicular accidents.

The DTI, through the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) will conduct a mandatory testing of all manufactured and imported motorcycle helmets in the country. All manufacturers and importers of standard protective motorcycle helmets are required to secure a Philippine Standard (PS) license or Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) prior to the sale and distribution of their products. The BPS shall issue periodically a list of motorcycle helmet manufacturers and importers and brands which pass the standards of the BPS to be published in a newspaper of general circulation or in its website.

Currently, the DTI has issued a list of 51 brands of imported helmets and visors with ICC issued, and one locally manufactured helmets and visors with PS license. The list will serve as guide for the consumers in the region.

In a separate interview, PIA learned that LTO 6 has registered in year 2011 some 220,566 motorcycles and tricycle in the region, while 62,821 were registered on January to March this year. (JCM/VWV-PIA6, Iloilo)