Karnataka: Helmet mandatory for children above 4 years

New Delhi, Oct 20: In a significant move, helmet has been made mandatory for children above four years while travelling on a motorcycle in Karnataka.

The state government has imposed a 3-month suspension of driving license along with a penalty in case of violation.

In recent amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, the central government had made it mandatory for children above 4 years to wear helmets while travelling on two-wheelers while exempting Sikhs wearing turbans from this rule.

The state transport department has also issued a directive to strictly enforce the old rules for the safety of the riders.

As per the rule, Under the Central Motor Vehicle Act, motorcycle riders must wear a helmet. As per the Karnataka Motor Vehicle Rule, all bikers in the state wearing helmets are mandatory.

This new order comes after the Supreme Court's direction to the state's Road Safety Committee to strictly enforce the mandatory helmet-wearing rule for all persons traveling on two-wheelers in the state.