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Helmets

Enforcement of helmet wearing for both rider and pillion passengers will increase the likelihood of crash survival by up to 40 % depending on the speed of the motorcycle, and quality of the helmet. Helmet wearing is compulsory in many countries, but in many low and middle income countries not enforced. Regulations concerning the size and speed of motorised two wheelers should also be considered, along with the use of graduated licences based upon age and experience. For more information on helmets and helmet-wearing please click here.

Increasing helmet use in a country is an important way of improving road safety. A good practice Helmet manual has been developed and published as part of the work of the UN Road Safety Collaboration by WHO, the World Bank, FIA Foundation and Global Road Safety Partnership, backing up the World report on road traffic injury prevention.

The good practice helmet manual is for use in countries that want to improve the rates of helmets use among users of two-wheelers, locally or at national level. It provides the necessary background evidence that will be useful to anyone starting a helmet programme, it gives practical technical advice on how to assess the situation, and how to design, implement and evaluate a programme to achieve a higher proportion of helmet wearing rates.

The manual is based on a modular structure using the following structure:

• Evidence on motorcycle crashes and why helmets minimize head injuries (module 1)
• How to undertake a problem assessment (module 2)
• How to set up a working group, develop an action plan including measures like helmet standards, legislation, enforcement and compliance, as well as using public education to change behaviour (module 3)
• How to monitor and evaluate a helmet programme (module 4)

The key principles and practical steps that this manual presents can easily be adapted and made relevant to different contexts around the world. The modular structure of the manual means it can be read and easily adapted to suit the problems and needs of individual countries.

Finally a good pre-hospital care and emergency system is important in case of a road crash to shorten the crucial time between the occurrence of the crash to the arrival of rescue teams or at a health clinic, thereby reducing the risk of fatal or serious injuries.

Enforcement of helmet wearing and protective clothing for both rider and passengers will reduce the level of injury. Proper training in ways to avoid collision can also help reduce the chance of loss of control. Planning for motorbikes by maintaining roads, lowering the speed and providing separation from other traffic need to be addressed - in particular for urban areas where most motorcycle crashes happen. Read more under Motorcyclists 

 Case Studies

• Community youth helmet use, Thailand
• Helmets programme, Cambodia
• Helmet law and enforcement, Vietnam
• Motorcycle helmet wearing action plan Cambodia
• Motorcycle helmet survey along national roads in Cambodia  
• Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative

Key Documents

• GRSP Knowledge base: Helmets, published by the Global Road Safety Partnership
• Helmet good practice manual, published by the World Health Organization
• Safety of vulnerable road users published by OECD

Related Publications

• Helmets good practice manual - English
• Helmets good practice manual - French
• Helmets good practice manual - Spanish
• Helmets good practice manual - Portuguese
• Helmets good practice manual - Thai
• Helmets good practice manual - Vietnamese
• Helmets good practice manual - Lao
• Helmets good practice manual - Khmer