Motorcycle Helmet Law takes effect

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, Jan. 4 (PIA) -- As the Motorcycle Helmet Law takes effect starting this month, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office in Camarines Sur will continue to monitor establishments to ensure that helmets being sold in the market bear the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) stickers.

DTI Camarines Sur Provincial Director Edna Tejada said the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) through the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is ready to help in implementing Republic Act 10054 or the Motorcycle Helmet Law.

It mandates all motorcycle riders to wear a standard protective motorcycle helmet while driving to protect the drivers and back riders in case of road accidents.

DTI was able to declare 14,811 ICC-certified helmets in Camarines Sur.

“With these number of certified helmets at hand, we have already accomplished the target number of certifiable helmets. Variance of 25,000 registered motorists in the province is no longer certifiable, and therefore motorists bought new ones, already with ICC stickers,” Tejada said in an interview.

DTI will ensure that all helmets comply with the specifications on safety standards.

Aside from the usual helmet stickering in their provincial office, DTI personnel also made rounds across the province to ensure that all motorcycle owners would be given a chance to register their helmets. The DTI team went to the towns of Sipocot, Libmanan, Calabanga, Pili, Goa, Nabua and Iriga in partnership with the Liberty Commercial Center (LCC) and concerned local government units.

“Those were strategic areas in the five districts of Camarines Sur. We also sought the help of the media to ensure that the information is well disseminated. I believe our efforts were enough to help the motorists comply with the law,” Tejada added.

The motorists are reminded that non-compliance of the law would mean the imposition of a penalty. The law states that first time offenders will be meted out with P1,500, P3,000 for the second offense, P5,000 for the 3rd offense and P10,000 for the fourth offense, including the confiscation of the uncertified helmet.

The law which has a national scope, authorizes DTI through the Bureau of Product Standards to check and certify the helmets. BPSO is mandated to usethe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Protocols with regard to the standards that will be applicable to the approval or disapproval of motorcycle helmets that will be sold in the country. (MAL/LSM-PIA5/Camarines Sur)