Dr. Tasnim Mehbuba Bandhan
Road safety is the safety of people from injuries and accidents on the road. Ituses all road safety measures to prevent and protect against traffic accidents.Anyoneriding on the road isin danger of injury or death. As pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, passengers, etc. Road safety is increasingly becoming a major causeof death and a global concern. Everyone should be familiarwith the traffic rules, especially children and teenagers who are at great risk. According to the World Health Organization, about 25,000 people die in road accidents in Bangladesh every year. According to the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads, and Railways (NCPSRR), minimum of 61,512 people were slain, and 102,618 others were traumatized in 55,141 road accidents from 2005 to 2017 and in 2018 at least 2,471 people died in 2,353 road accidents across the country in the previous half of the year. Despite the pandemic situation, according to Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association’s (BPWA) annual road accident monitoring report for 2020 around 6,686 people lost their lives, and 8,600 were injured in a total of 4,891 road accidents in 2020 in Bangladesh.
Related to it, it can be said that among all motor vehicles, motorcycles are the most susceptible on the street. Since the motorcycle does not have a seat belt, you may fall off the seat in the event of a collision, resulting in serious injury or even death. Imagine your chance of survival if you are hit or hit by a truck.
Hitting a truck is like hitting a steel wall. However, if you wear a helmet and follow the safety tips below while riding a motorcycle, your chances of survival will increase. According to data from the WHO, nearly a quarter of traffic accident victims requiring hospitalization have suffered from a traumatic brain injury.Head injuries are the leading cause of death, injury, and disability among two-wheeler motors.
The use of motorized two-wheelers has grown substantially, especially in low and middle-income countries, with an increase in the number of head injuries and traumas.
This is particularly worrying in Asia, where, for many travelers, motorized two-wheelers are used as family transportation. A helmet aims to moderates the possibility of solemn head and brain injuries by tumbling the effects of a force or collision to the head.Helmets can be very effective in preventing head injuries for cyclists and passengers in motorized two-wheelers. It has been proven that the lack or incorrect use of helmets increases the risk of death and injury caused by traffic accidents involving motorized two-wheelers. Compared with people wearing helmets, motorized two-wheelers who do not wear helmets are three times more likely to have a head injury in a collision. Helmet wearing rates range from slightly above zero in some low-income countries to nearly 100% where helmet laws are effectively enforced. Low-income countries have found that more than half of adult motorized two-wheelers do not wear a properly secured helmet. Child passengers rarely wear helmets or use adult helmets that do not adequately protect them.
The present international context indicates that, in Malaysia, the outline of the laws for the helmet reduced the death toll from motorcycles by 30%. In Italy, the introduction and implementation of the Helmet Law increased the helmet usage rate from 20% in 1999 to over 96% in 2001. The number of head injuries has also shrunk, therefore. The obligatory helmet laws in the United States of America show that their employment and execution have abridged the number of grievances by two-wheelers by 20-30%.
Therefore, just as important as wearing a helmet is wearing the right helmet. A helmet that doesn’t fit properly or offer sufficient cushioning can give anybody a false sense of security while not providing the level of needed protection. Additionally, in Road Transport Act-2018 of Bangladesh does have a clause about the rules for wearing helmets but there is no mention of the standard form of helmets. Sub-section (Cha) of the first part of section 49 states that no more than one passenger can be carried on a motorcycle without a driver and both the driver and the passenger must wear a helmet properly.
By realizing the urgency of the need for the amendment a set of recommendations has been submitted to the ministry with emphasizing the standardization of helmets. It stated that motorcycle riders and passengers must wear standard helmets at all times. It should also be properly attached to the chin or chin with straps or ribbons on the helmet. Helmets must be checked periodically by the National Quality Control Authority to ensure that the helmets comply with UNECE approved standards. Helmets must be approved by the National Quality Control Authority. All unlicensed helmets must be strictly prohibited. In this case, BSTI will prepare guidelines on the approval and compliance process that must be followed. Besides, the recommendation stated that no rider can carry more than one passenger on a motorcycle.
The passenger must sit in a designated seat securely attached to the motorcycle behind the driver’s seat. Additionally, no changes are allowed to the motorcycle, such as wheel size, body length, side or elevation, manufacturer’s extra body parts, additional noise-producing horns. Besides, using a mobile phone or any audio equipment that may interfere with their ability to determine the duties on the road, pulling and pushing something with a motorcycle, carrying heavy objects or excess cargo beyond the control limit, standing on a motorcycle seat or not sitting and riding a motorcycle would be strongly prohibited.In low-income and middle-income countries, there is a need to develop standards for helmets that are sensitive to local manufacturing capabilities and cost constraints, and that is comfortable for local climates. For example, a lightweight helmet suitable for tropical climates has been developed in Viet Nam, while in Malaysia research is underway to develop helmets specifically suitable for children.
Lately, the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has begun working on road safety issues and has taken initiatives to sensitize the responsible personnel from ministry and relevant departments to amend the Road Transport Act-2018. In continuation, DAM has submitted the recommendations for the ACT to the ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Bangladesh.
Dr. Tasnim Mehbuba Bandhan is Advocacy Officer (Policy), Health Sector
Dhaka Ahsania Mission
