New Delhi, September 11
The World Health Organisation has come up with two guidelines for policymakers on helmet use and pedestrian safety to help curb the global scourge of road traffic deaths and injuries.
The guidelines, co-written by experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), on the use of helmets for riders of powered two and three-wheelers and on pedestrian safety, include new evidence and case studies.
According to top officials of the WHO, road traffic crashes kill over 1.3 million people every year ndash; more than two every minute ndash; with nine in 10 deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
Globally, road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among children and young people aged between 5 and 29 years, WHO officials stated.
“These new manuals are crucial tools to help policymakers build the safe mobility systems we need to halve deaths from crashes by 2030,” said Nhan Tran, Head of Safety and Mobility at WHO.
“With poor infrastructure, pedestrians, particularly in developing countries, are often left dangerously exposed. Motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and e-bikes continue to proliferate fast and the use of life-saving helmets is a must,” said Tran.
The road safety expert pointed out that the use of powered two and three-wheeled vehicles are increasing rapidly in many developing countries, yet the use of quality helmets often lags behind.
Nearly 30 per cent of all crash fatalities reported to WHO involve powered two and three-wheelers, with 43 per cent of all road traffic deaths in the WHO South East Asian Region involving these types of vehicles.
Full-face covering helmets which are properly strapped on, reduce fatal injuries by up to 64 per cent and brain injuries by up to 74 per cent.
“Improving road environment, strengthening legislation, and enforcement, including with actions to educate road users and change their behaviours, can significantly improve pedestrian safety,” said Geetam Tiwari, a professor at IIT Delhi.
The guidelines were launched at the Dinesh Mohan Memorial Symposium, an international forum to advance progress on reducing road traffic injuries and unintentional injuries, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries, and was hosted by the IIT’s Transportation Research Injury Prevention Centre with support from the Volvo Research Education Foundation.