More than half of all motorcycle helmets being sold in Taiwan still come with a chin cup, even though such a design has been illegal since Jan. 1 last year after the cup was identified as a possible cause of serious injuries in the event of an accident, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday.
In March last year, a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries during an accident after landing on his chin. The chin cup sliced into his chin as he landed, causing the victim to require more than 20 stitches.
Since Jan. 1 last year, the chin cup has been outlawed in the Chinese National Standards (CNS), said Hsieh Tien-jen (謝天仁), chairman of the foundation. The CNS also stipulates that the helmet strap cannot be less than 20mm wide.
If the motorcyclist had worn the helmet with the chin cup close to his neck rather than on his chin, as many people do, the chin cup may have cut into his trachea, which could have been fatal, Hsieh said.
Despite the new regulation having been in effect for more than a year, the foundation’s survey of 1,000 people last month showed that as many as 78 percent were not aware of the new regulations and that 69 percent did not know that the chin cup could cause the helmet to fly off or injure the neck in the event of an accident.
The survey also showed that, of those who have purchased motorcycle helmets since Jan. 1 last year, 52 percent had a chin cup attached at the time of purchase, which clearly violates the CNS requirement, Hsieh said.
The foundation called on manufacturers to adhere to the regulation or be subject to fines of between NT$100,000 and NT$1 million (US$31,000) in accordance with the Commodity Inspection Act (商品檢驗法). The foundation also advised motorcyclists to remove the chin cup if one is attached to their helmet for their own protection.
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