The Department of Trade & Industry expects the number of helmet traders and dealers to flourish with the implementation of Republic Act No. 1054 or the Helmet Law of 2009.
DTI regional director Asteria Caberte bared there are currently 51 suppliers of helmets, which is actually increasing as the DTI listed 40 compliant brands of helmets that are in accordance with the law.
Caberte, during the Kapihan sa PIA, said she would furnish a copy to all media outlets the list of 40 compliant brands of standard helmets for them to help the government inform the public about the law.
The two agencies tasked to strictly implement the law are the DTI and the Land Transportation Office which are set to fully implement it starting Aug. 1.
“We are now finished with our region-wide information dissemination campaign here in Central Visayas. I could say that awareness level in the region is already quite high,” said Caberte.
Caberte said their office is now monitoring commercial establishments selling helmets whether these fall in accordance with the standard helmet as required by law.
“We have already pulled out quite a number of helmets that do not conform to the law’s requirement based on our monitoring and inspection,” said Caberte.
The DTI-7 chief however admitted that prices of approved-standard helmets would go up given the greater demand with the strict implementation of the law.
“We are now looking into the behavior of prices of helmets but so far, I would say the prices are still within normal range,” Caberte said but admitted that their office cannot put a cap on the costs nor control the prices of helmets.
“The standard price would be around P800 but there are other brands coming that would cost as low as P500,” she added.
One of the main objectives of RA 1054 or the “Act Mandating Motorcycle Riders to Wear Standard Protective Motorcycle Helmet While Driving” is to reduce the incidence of motor vehicular accidents. (PIA)
