Helmet safety advocacy event: Saving lives, not just meeting laws

Bangladesh continues to grapple with an alarming road safety crisis, with motorcycle-related incidents accounting for a significant portion of fatalities. In 2024 alone, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) reported that motorcycle accidents resulted in 1,706 deaths -- 31.13% of all road fatalities -- while the Bangladesh Road Safety Foundation (BRSF) recorded an even higher figure of 2,609 deaths or 35.76% of total casualties. Alarmingly, in January 2025, motorcycles were responsible for 43.42% of all road-related deaths. Despite existing regulations, weak enforcement has allowed substandard helmets to flood the market, putting millions of riders at risk.

Recognising the urgency of the issue, the World Bank and BRAC, in collaboration with the government, hosted the Standard Motorcycle Helmet Advocacy Event on Sunday, 23 February 2025, at Hotel InterContinental, Dhaka.

The initiative aimed to promote using high-quality, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI)- certified helmets, ensuring that helmets serve as life-saving devices rather than mere legal requirements.

The event brought together key government officials, law enforcement representatives, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for ensuring widespread adoption of the national helmet standard.

The Honourable Adviser for the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, attended as the Chief Guest, while Special Guests included S M Ferdous Alam, Director General of BSTI; Mohammed Yasin, Chairman of BRTA; Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Inspector General of Police; and Gayle Martin, PhD, Interim Country Director of the World Bank in Bangladesh.

Fei Deng, the World Bank Group's Practice Manager for Transport in the South Asia Region, delivered the welcome address virtually. She highlighted that motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable groups on the road and underscored the critical role of high-quality, standardised helmets in reducing risks. Citing evidence, she noted that such helmets can lower the likelihood of severe head injuries by 69%.

Chief Guest Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan expressed deep concern over motorcycle accidents and emphasised the need for immediate action. He outlined key priorities, including comprehensive motorcyclist training, identifying and marking accident-prone areas, enhancing pedestrian safety, and implementing speed monitoring, breathalyser tests, and dope testing. He also stressed the importance of improving road alignment in critical regions and strengthening emergency response systems with better trauma centres and ambulances. Calling for a holistic approach, he urged all stakeholders to move beyond discussions and take concrete steps to save lives.

BSTI Director General S M Ferdous Alam highlighted that a helmet consists of multiple components, each serving a vital function in protection. He assured that BSTI employs state-of-the-art testing technology to ensure compliance with international safety standards.

BRTA Chairman Mohammad Yasin emphasised that road safety is a shared responsibility and suggested prioritising high-risk areas, such as the 300 Feet Road leading to Purbachal, where the rate of motorcycle accidents is higher, as a starting point for a targeted awareness campaign. He stressed the importance of a coordinated effort, particularly in encouraging younger riders to adopt standard helmet use.

Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP), emphasised the need for locally manufactured standard helmets to enhance affordability and accessibility while ensuring that imported helmets meet the required safety standards. He also stressed the importance of clear and user-friendly certification processes, enabling riders to quickly identify standardised and internationally certified helmets.

Gayle Martin, PhD, Interim Country Director, World Bank, reiterated the World Bank's commitment to advancing road safety in Bangladesh. She emphasised the importance of addressing the supply chain and cost of standardised helmets as their use becomes more widespread. While acknowledging progress in regulation, she noted that affordability remains a key concern. To ensure accessible solutions, she called for a collective effort to engage manufacturers and develop strategies that balance regulation and affordability.

Ahmed Najmul Hussain, Director of the BRAC Road Safety Programme, highlighted gaps in public awareness and law enforcement regarding standard helmet use. He urged all stakeholders to ensure compliance with BSTI-standardised helmets to prevent road crashes. He emphasised the urgent need for traffic police training to identify standard helmets, understand relevant laws, and enforce violation penalties.

Arif Uddin, Transport Specialist at the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) at the World Bank Washington, virtually presented global best practices that have significantly reduced road fatalities. He emphasised that adherence, awareness, and availability are crucial for successfully adopting standard helmets.

Speaking on behalf of the country's helmet importers, S M Safat Ishtiaq, Chairman of Vulcan Lifestyle Limited, advocated for integrating helmet and road safety education into the HSC curriculum. He also called for mandatory helmet use for children, arguing that if riders and pillion passengers require protection, so do child passengers.

The event concluded with remarks from Dilshad Dossani, Programme Officer, World Bank, who reiterated that road safety is a critical economic and development priority. In her remarks, she highlighted the roadmap, future recommendations, and next steps.

A significant outcome of the event was formulating an action roadmap to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and foster collaboration among stakeholders. Additionally, the event featured a demonstration and distribution of UN-standard helmets to police, Uber, Pathao and social media personalities, reinforcing their critical role in reducing motorcycle-related injuries and fatalities.