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Making safe helmets a reality for all: white paper

We are halfway through the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, yet road deaths and injuries remain alarmingly high. Urgent, evidence-based interventions are needed to meet global road safety targets.

Our new white paper Making safe helmets a reality for all explores the challenges people face in choosing a safe helmet and offers some solutions to address those hurdles. The white paper will be a foundation for the Alliance and its member NGOs to build on, bringing a grassroots perspective to the worldwide push for implementation of effective helmet standards and solutions that protect the right to safe mobility for all.

The white paper enhances the global evidence gathered for the helmet Priority Intervention in our Accountability Toolkit, setting out key messages and key asks to make it more specific and actionable. Read it HERE.

Read the white paper

Listen to riders testimonies about helmets

With the support of NGOs we interviewed motorcyclists in Kenya, Nepal and Mexico to show what the realities of people’s journeys are like, and why it is vitally important to have safe helmets in our markets.
With NGO support, we asked motorcyclists in Kenya what motorcycling means to them, what they think of the helmets they wear, and why it is sometimes not easy to distinguish between safe and unsafe helmets. Find out their stories.
Many motorcyclists in Mexico wear helmets that look safe but offer no real protection. With support from local NGOs, we captured their experiences and their voices. Hear what they had to say.
Behind every helmet is a story. In Nepal, we spoke to riders like Karuna, Shreehari, and Sandeep about their journeys, what riding means to them, and and how unsafe helmets put their lives at risk every day. Get to know their stories.

About the white paper

Key messages from the white paper

1. Motorcycles Are Playing a Significant Role in People’s Lives: Motorcycles have become more than just a means of transportation. They are a symbol of economic empowerment, enabling access to jobs, education, and other opportunities, especially for individuals who may not have access to cars or reliable public transportation. This is the reality; we cannot ignore their prevalence, and we must find solutions that ensure that their use is safe, starting with providing safe helmets.

2. Access to Safe Helmets Is a Fundamental Right: Everyone has the right to safe mobility, regardless of their socioeconomic background. This includes the right to access helmets that are truly protective. When anyone obtains a helmet, they deserve the assurance that it will protect them.

3. We Are Letting People Down by Allowing Unsafe Helmets into the Market: When nonstandard helmets are let into the market, we are letting people down. Manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, and transport services (such as delivery companies, moto taxis, and ride-hailing apps) that produce, sell, or provide customers with nonstandard helmets are evading accountability and endangering lives and livelihoods. Without proper regulation of the helmet market, these unsafe products proliferate and contribute to road deaths and serious injuries.

4. Implementation Challenges Shouldn’t Block Progress: While implementing and enforcing the national helmet standard may be complex, it’s the lack of action that often stalls real progress. We have the tools, evidence, and case studies that show us what needs to be done and how. Governments must not let challenges deter them; they must remain accountable by taking action to ensure public safety. It’s in their interest to engage all stakeholders, including manufacturers and distributors, to actively support these efforts. The failure to implement proven solutions is an unforgivable paradox that endangers lives and hinders economic and social participation.

5. Only Helmets that Meet Safety Standards Should Be Available in the First Place: It’s not enough to encourage helmet use, and riders shouldn’t be responsible for identifying safe helmets. Governments must take accountability by enforcing their national helmet standard at the market level to eliminate nonstandard helmets. This means manufacturers, importers, exporters, distributors, and other commercial providers of nonstandard helmets are overseen and laws are enforced to prevent nonstandard helmets from reaching people.

6. We Need to Expand Our Focus Beyond Traditional Road Safety Sectors to Ensure Successful Implementation: Effective helmet regulation requires coordinated efforts across ministries, including those that may not normally be involved in road safety—transport, trade, consumer protection, fiscal policy, and others. Safe helmets must be not only protective but also affordable and comfortable for people to choose to wear them across all socioeconomic groups.

Summary findings

  1. Nonstandard helmets are found even in countries with helmet standards.
  2. People rely on certification labels and brands, but not all helmets have them, and not all labels are trustworthy.
  3. Nonstandard helmets are generally cheaper than standard helmets.
  4. Helmets must be comfortable and attractive as well as safe.
  5. NGOs can play an important role in advocacy for safe helmets.

To develop this white paper, we went through a comprehensive process involving desk research, consultations with global recognized global experts in helmet safety, key informant interviews with NGOs, community consultations, and workshops. You can read more detailed findings from each of these components HERE.

READ THE DETAILED FINDINGS BEHIND THE WHITE PAPER