Helmet Stories Topped in MyBlog Stats

Yesterday was the busiest day of this blog-having cornered 2,028 views, the highest in the almost 5-year history of this personal blog. This is all because of the views on my articles about the motorcycle helmet.

 Topping the list of the recently most-viewed articles are:

• Updated List of Approved Motorcycle Protective Helmet, 1,926 views
• DTI: Motorcycle Drivers Can Secure ICC/PS Helmet Stickers, 1,411 views
• Motorcycle Helmet Processing Issuance of ICC-Sticker @ the Halad sa Kapamilya, 457 views
• Are You Wearing the Right Motorcycle Crash Helmet?, 357 views
• How a Standard Motorcycle Crash Helmet is Designed?, 135 views

Except for the last item which posted in myTech Blog–iStoryang HaaayTek!, all are published in this personal blog.

I have committed to further write about the motorcycle helmet story to update the public. The latest announcement from the Land Transportation Office is a little bit a sigh of relief for the motorcycle owners as the enforcement agency is withholding the apprehension of non-prescribed motorcycle helmet by August 1, 2012.

The LTO has responded to the call of the Department of Trade and Industry to postpone the implementation of the Mandatory Motorcycle Crash Helmet Act. However, there was no date until when the suspension shall remain.

Earlier in Central Visayas, the regional office of the DTI has announced that the processing of the helmet shall be extended until the end of the year while the free processing and free sticker shall be until September 30.

The LTO regional office also announced their operatives will not apprehend motorcycle drivers wearing the prescribed helmet even without the required ICC/PS stickers. However, they will still pursue the apprehension of the non-prescribed helmet.

The local enforcement bodies of the cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu, CITOM and CTMS respectively, vowed not to implement the Helmet Law as long as the motorcycle drivers wear any helmet.

Some enterprising motorcycle drivers whose helmets have not passed the requirements for a standard helmet have found a way to trick the enforcers. Some are detaching the ICC stickers from locally-sold electrical tapes and transfer it to their helmets. The sticker is almost the same with that of the ICC stickers issued for the motorcycle helmets. Check the picture below.

Courtesy of Ferdinand Mañus in his Facebook wall.

BREAKING NEWS: DTI to Waive Fees for Motorcycle Helmet Processing & Stickers

The regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will no longer collect the processing fee (P100) and sticker fee (P1.25) for motorcycle helmets beginning Monday, July 23 until September 30, 2012.

DTI Central Visayas Director Asteria Caberte announces this today over DyAB1512 Cebu few days after the CITOM (Cebu City Traffic Operations and Management) questioned the fees collected by the DTI from the motorcycle owners who submitted their helmets for sticker issuance. The CITOM board, in its resolution, described the collection of the fees as anti-poor and is not authorized under the Mandatory Helmet Act.

However, the DTI will only process for free those prescribed helmets with brands that are listed under the Bureau of Product Standards ICC/PS licensees. The DTI earlier extended their processing of the helmets until December 31, 2012 while the LTO will also allow the use of some helmets even without the stickers as long as it is prescribed until the same period.

Caberte said they don’t know if the free processing and free sticker will continue after September 30, 2012 as instructed by the head of the DTI. Caberte said those more than 7,000 motorcycle owners who were able to pay earlier the processing fee and sticker fee shall be refunded by the DTI.

Here’s the interview of Director Caberte over DyAB1512:

Read here for the details of the prescribed helmet.

CITOM Will Not Arrest Motorcycle Drivers Without Helmet Stickers

Call it a sympathy for the poor motorcycle drivers or CITOM is just playing like a politician these days. CITOM announces today they will not implement the Motorcycle Helmet Act (RA10054) come August 1, 2012.

Instead, according to Atty. Rafael Yap, Executive Director of CITOM, they will allow the drivers to wear any type of helmet as long as the drivers shall have the protective gear.

The traffic board in their regular meeting today considered the requirement of the standard helmet as “anti-poor” due to the high-price of most standard motorcycle helmets. CITOM has noted that most motorcycle drivers belonged to the poor sector hence they can just afford a motorcycle as their service vehicle.

Yap told DyAB1512 of ABS-CBN Cebu they will implement the city’s local ordinance requiring the wearing of a crash helmet when driving a motorcycle in city streets. CITOM enforcers shall be given instruction regarding the board’s decision. However, CITOM can not stop any LTO operatives from implementing the national law.

The price for motorcycle helmets has gone up even more than 3,000 pesos each when the requirement of a standard motorcycle helmet was announced by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Land Transportation Office.

DTI Regional Director Asteria Caberte earlier said there are standard helmets that cost about 500 pesos only. Some motorcycle drivers claimed they already have standard helmets but the brands are not in DTI list of approved helmets. 🙂

REACTION: (updates)

(July 11, 2012) LTO Regional Director Raul Aguiluz also announced this morning that their operatives shall give reprieve to motorcycle riders whose helmet bear a brand and possibly passed the standards even without an ICC or PS sticker until December 2012.

Aguiluz said this is in connection with the extension given by the DTI to all motorcycle drivers whose helmets are still subject to processing and issuance of the stickers. The extension is until the end of 2012.

This means motorcycle riders will not get apprehended by LTO operatives by August 1 even if their helmets don’t have the required sticker. However, Director Aguiluz clarified LTO operatives will arrest those riders who wear unprescribed helmets like safety helmet (construction), bicycle helmet, baseball gear, etc.

After yesterday’s announcement of CITOM that they will not implement the Motorcycle Helmet Act, no other LGU has come out and speak the same or against it.

DTI: Motorcycle Drivers Can Secure ICC/PS Helmet Stickers

Good news! The Department of Trade and Industry announces that motorcycle drivers who owned an old or previously purchased motorcycle protective helmet can secure the required ICC or PS stickers to avoid apprehension starting August 1, 2012.

Bad news! For now, motorcycle owners/drivers have to wait for the announcement from DTI when the stickers shall be available for distribution, says DTI Regional Director Asteria Caberte during the DyAB Traffic Summit early today.

The stickers are available at P1.25 only but the motorcycle drivers have to pay the processing fee of P100 upon securing the sticker at the DTI. Caberte warned motorists of the scam selling fake ICC and PS stickers as their agency is filing charges against an individual who was caught selling it.

The ICC (Import Compliance Certificate) sticker is issued to all imported helmet while the PS (Product Standard) sticker is issued to all locally-manufactured helmet.

Most of the available motorcycle protective helmet in the market is imported. Though, according to Director Caberte there are already local manufacturers that passed the standard requirements.

The DTI has listed 49 brands of approved motorcycle helmet. The most popular brand is “Index“. Here’s the partial list of the brands of helmet issued with the ICC  mark:

1. 2               14. GPX                           27. MRC                        39. STUDSS
2. AGV        15. H                                 28. NEXX                      40. SUN
3. AINON   16. HF                              29. NOLAN                   41. TANKED
4. AM           17. HJC                           30.PENGUIN                42. TRANSCYLCE
5. ARAI       18. HNJ                           31. POSH                        43. VCAN
6. AVEX      19. HONGYING BIO   32. POWERCYCLE       44. VOLTZ
7. AXA         20. HPH                          33. SA-070                    45.  WEILING
8. BEN-2      21. INDEX                      34. SHOEI                       46. XPOT
9. BIO            22. KH                             35. SOL                            46. YAMAHA
10. CABERG   23. KOR                          36. SPACE CROWN     47. YEMA
11. CARTING 24. LEV3                       37. SPYDER                   48. ZEBRA
12. EXSOL       25. LEV3                        38. ST                               49. ZEUS
13. GDR            26.LS2

UPDATE!!!! This list has just been updated by the DTI as of June 30, 2012. Check it here.

Here’s a clip of Dir. Asteria Caberte during the Traffic Summit:

Related articles:

• Latest list DTI-Certified brands of motorcycle protective helmets
• Are You Wearing the Right Motorcycle Crash Helmet?
• How a Standard Motorcycle Crash Helmet is Designed?