Helmet mounted cameras ILLEGAL, driving licence of offenders to be cancelled: Kerala RTO

The Transport Commissioner of the Motor Vehicle Department, Kerala has announced that mounting cameras on helmets and taking videos on public roads is illegal. The license of the offenders who break this rule will get cancelled.

According to the Transport Commissioner, riders with cameras mounted on the helmet cannot concentrate on the road and become conscious about the footage recording in their cameras. That is why such motorists become a danger to fellow motorists and pedestrians as well.

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While there is no such rule in the MV Act, the police invoke Section 53 to cancel the license of the offenders. Section 53 of MVD deals with the modifications of the vehicles and temporary cancellation of the registration of the modified vehicle until the vehicle is converted back to the stock version.

We are not sure about any action by the police on the same. However, a few years ago, Police in Kerala caught a KTM 390 Duke rider because of the camera on his helmet. After the cop said that the camera is not allowed on the helmet, they both argued about the law. Finally, the cops handed out a challan for not having mirrors on the motorcycle. You can read the full story here.

Cameras are very useful

Cameras are extremely important and useful on public roads. While it has become very normal in foreign countries to have a dashboard camera mounted on the car, the trend is slowly catching up in India too. While many riders use the helmet-mounted cameras to record vlogs, many others use them as proof, if an accident happens.

It is not illegal by law to use the camera on the dashboard or your helmet in India. However, using the camera to record around sensitive areas like military installations or cantonments can cause big trouble. The use of cameras on the roads can help you with insurance if anything wrong goes on the road.

We are not sure if the cops will also not allow dashboard cameras that are used by four-wheelers. Many such recordings have been helpful in the past to claim insurance and even to show that they are following the laws and rules.

Different countries have different rules

While the dashboard cameras are very popular in some countries. A few others have restricted the use of these cameras. Austria, for example, does not allow dashboard cameras for surveillance purposes and there can be a hefty fine for violating the rule.

In Switzerland, the government authorities strongly discourage to use of such dashboard cameras to ensure that they can contravene the data protection principles of the country. The German government allows the use of dashboard cameras. However, one cannot use the footage from these cameras to post on social media websites until and unless the faces and the registration of other vehicles are blurred.

Luxembourg allows the ownership of dashboard cameras but one cannot use them to record on public roads. In India, there are no rules directing the use or ownership of dashboard cameras till now.

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