'Standard safe helmets can reduce head injuries by 44%'

Road safety crisis is preventable and standard safe helmets can reduce head injuries by up to 44%, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan Abdoulaye Seck has said.

However, most helmets available in Bangladesh do not meet international quality and protection standards, he observed while addressing a discussion at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Sunday.

Road crashes have emerged as the leading cause of permanent disability, with an alarming number of young lives lost in motorcycle accidents, primarily affecting individuals between the ages of 26 and 30, Abdoulaye Seck told the programme, organised jointly by Brac and the World Bank marking the UN Road Safety Week 2023.

Bringing together various stakeholders including government officials, civil society, private sector representatives, and non-governmental organisations, the event advocated for the use of standard helmets in the country.

Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Noori emphasised the importance of reducing road accidents through awareness instead of banning motorcycles.

The secretary said, "Some people want to ban motorcycles, but this is not right. Motorcycles are now a growing sector, it contributes significantly to the GDP."

Pierre Castaing, an international consultant for the World Bank, called for the enforcement of the law that makes it compulsory to wear standard helmets.

He suggested banning non-standard or modified helmets and enforcing the law at the levels of importers and producers, dealers, and users.

Ahmed Najmul Hussain, director of Brac's Road Safety Programme, highlighted the need for training traffic police and installing traffic cameras to enforce helmet laws effectively.

Public awareness and understanding of the law's benefits are crucial for compliance and enforcement, he adde.

Md Abdus Sattar, director general of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), stressed the availability of standard helmets in the market and the importance of determining their usable lifetime, as well as identifying and addressing substandard helmets.

As part of the initiative, UN standard helmets were distributed among selected individuals following the conclusion of the discussion.

The 7th UN Global Road Safety Week, observed from 15 May to 21 May, promotes the campaign through hashtags such as #RethinkMobility, #StreetsforLife, and #RoadSafety to create mass awareness on social media platforms.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.3 million people die and 20-50 million people sustain injuries in road crashes globally each year, with a considerable portion suffering permanent disability.

Low- and middle-income countries, which account for 60% of the world's vehicles, experience 93% of the total road crashes. Additionally, one in four fatalities in road crashes involves pedestrians or cyclists.