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Wearing a motorcycle helmet can
reduce the risk of death by almost 40
per cent and the risk of severe injury
by approximately 70 per cent. Effective
enforcement of motorcycle hel-
met laws can increase helmet-
wearing rates and thereby reduce
head injuries (28). Helmet laws
should cover all riders and specify
a helmet quality standard. While 169
countries have a national law requiring
the use of helmets among motorcyclists,
there are a large number of countries
where loopholes in these laws poten-
tially limit their effectiveness.
For example, of the 169 countries
that have a helmet law, only 151 stipulate
Now 116 countries have a universal access number to acti- that the law applies to drivers and pas-
vate emergency service response. as public broadcasts, mobile sengers, all road types and all engine types. Furthermore, only
phone applications, electronic billboards or other mechanisms 74 of the 169 countries (41 per cent of countries responding
that provide real-time updates on available care resources. to the survey) explicitly state that the helmet needs to be cor-
Health-care staff must be trained in emergency care. A sys- rectly worn (i.e. properly fastened with the chin strap) in order
tematic clinical approach to the management of road traffic to meet the law. Only 70 countries have national helmet laws
victim’s injuries can improve outcomes. that apply to all drivers and passengers, all road types and all
The report finds that hospitals in low- and middle income engines types, and require the helmet to be properly fastened.
countries are often staffed by general practitioners and nurses Helmets must be of good quality to be effective and there is
who treat a high volume of trauma patients every day, fre- need for national helmet legislation. Children legally allowed,
quently without the support of dedicated trauma care training. as motorcycle passengers must be required to wear a helmet.
Implementing accredited courses on trauma care for doctors
and nurses in hospitals receiving a high-volume of trauma vic- DRUNKEN DRIVING
tims is an effective way of improving this care. Laws based on blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits can
reduce road traffic crashes. Drink–driving increases the
PREVENTING HEAD INJURIES chance of a road traffic crash, as well as the likelihood that
Preventing motorcyclist head injuries is becoming increas- death or serious injury will result. The risk of impairment starts
ingly urgent as motorcycle use rises. Data collected for this at very low levels of alcohol consumption and rises exponen-
report shows that there was a 27 per cent growth in the num- tially with alcohol intake.
ber of motorized two-wheelers globally during the last three
years. Motorcycles form a high proportion of vehicle fleets in
many low- and middle-income countries, and motorcyclists
comprise a large proportion of those injured or killed on the
roads.
While in high-income countries motorcycle deaths typi-
cally comprise about 12 per cent of overall traffic deaths, in
middle-income countries this more than doubles to 26 per
cent. Motorcyclists are at an increased risk because they often
share the traffic space with fast-moving cars, buses and trucks,
and because they are less visible. In addition, their lack of phys-
ical protection makes them vulnerable to injury.
Injuries to the head and neck are the main cause of death,
severe injury and disability among motorcyclists. The social
costs of head injuries for survivors, their families and com-
munities are high, in part because they frequently require spe-
cialized or long-term care. Head injuries also result in much
higher medical costs. Increasing motorcycle helmet use these
injuries can exert a high toll on a country’s health care costs
and its economy.