The Consumer Affairs Authority has launched an islandwide enforcement campaign against manufacturers and sellers of motorcycle helmets lacking mandatory Sri Lanka Standards certification, conducting 98 raids in a single day and seizing hundreds of substandard helmets.

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) is intensifying efforts to eliminate non-certified motorcycle helmets from the Sri Lankan market, citing safety concerns for riders and their families. Under legal direction issued in 2015, all helmets manufactured or imported into the country must display the SLS 517 product certification mark. Violation of this requirement—whether through manufacture, import, distribution, storage, display, or sale—constitutes a criminal offense.

A major enforcement operation conducted on July 27 demonstrates the scale of the authority's response. During that single day, authorities executed 98 raids nationwide, resulting in the confiscation of 431 helmets without proper certification. Additionally, two manufacturing facilities were barred from selling 3,520 helmets produced during periods when their SLS licenses had expired or lapsed.

Since the beginning of 2026, the CAA has conducted 151 raids and filed 53 legal cases, with enforcement actions affecting over 4,038 helmets. Court proceedings continue on 14 of the cases filed during the first half of the year, while 39 cases have already been concluded. The authority emphasized that consumers purchasing cheaper uncertified helmets face genuine safety risks, as substandard equipment may fail to provide adequate protection during accidents.

The CAA has issued warnings to manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to cease involvement with non-certified products. Members of the public are encouraged to verify the SLS certification mark before purchase and to report illegal helmet sales through the authority's hotline at 1977.