LTO, DTI-7 warn vs substandard helmets

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines  — The regional offices of the Land Transportation Office and the Department of Trade and Industry have already warned the public that starting this August motorcycle riders wearing substandard helmets will be apprehended.

At present, any safety helmet will do and this leeway has long been protracted already. The two agencies said it is now high time to fully implement the helmet law with the LTO-7 conducting the roadside inspection and the DTI-7 monitoring establishments selling only helmets that meet the standards set by the Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Act.

DTI-7 regional director Aster Caberte, a Boholano, reminded the public that ICC stickers and PS marks cannot be bought from anywhere since only the DTI can issue these. She also declared that helmets bearing the ICC (International Commodity Clearance) stickers and PS (Philippine Standard) marks had already been inspected by DTI personnel (see table of DTI-certified brands of helmet).

“We are watching several stores. I don’t want to apprehend anyone in Bohol. It is better that this early, we issue the warning, because we had already apprehended some in Bohol for violations of selling helmets without the ICC or PS stickers. No entity is allowed to distribute the ICC stickers, except the DTI),” Caberte said.

The DTI official also warned of stiff penalty on those caught faking the ICC stickers. Genuine stickers are tamper-proof being made of hologram which is characterized by rainbow reflection, making it easy to distinguish the authentic from fake ones, which show “refracted rainbow reflection.”

Caberte also said her office just received an order on June 1 to accommodate those who had already bought helmets ahead of time and want their helmets to be certified safe by getting ICC stickers. The processing fee is P100 and the ICC sticker is P1.25. However, only those with features that pass the standard check will be certified safe and be given ICC stickers, she said.

DTI will check if the shield of the helmet has no crack and the belt lock still works. It is also important that the helmet visor does not affect the actual color of the images especially the traffic light and that the driver can still hear the sounds around him even with the helmet on.

“This is to make the mandatory helmet law easier to comply,” said Caberte, although she admitted that the regional office has not received the ICC stickers yet so far, and that she will just inform the public, through the media, if these are already available.

The DTI had also published the brands of helmets that comply with the standards set by law and the public is advised to check the list for guidance.