Thailand
has one of the highest rates of motorcycle injuries and deaths
in Southeast Asia because not enough drivers wear a safety helmet,
according to officials and aid agencies. Alarmingly, the number
of motorcycle accidents in the country doubled between 2001
and 2005, with 80,000 accidents reported last year, according
to the Royal Thai Police Office. What’s more, around 38,000
accident-related injuries were reported in 2005 compared to
19,000 in 2001.
In an effort to convince more drivers to strap on a helmet,
the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) recently organized
Southeast Asia’s first-ever Action Plan for Helmet Wearing
Workshop. The gathering brought together 65 participants from
government and private agencies working on road safety, traffic
policy and planning.
Their aim was to come up with more strategies to reduce accidents
and fatalities as part of the GRSP’s Global Road Safety
Initiative. GRSP, a programme hosted by the International Federation
of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, works with local governments,
private and government agencies, and civil society organizations
to address road safety issues in low and middle income countries.
“Changes in motorcyclists’ behaviours and attitudes
towards the importance of helmet use are needed,” said
Suriya Prasatbuntitta, the director of the Thai Interior Ministry’s
Road Safety Division. “Drivers need to be made more aware
of why a helmet is needed and what will happen if they don’t
wear one or use one properly.”
Legislation on the use of helmets was introduced in Thailand
several years ago but Mr. Suriya points out that the law hasn’t
been strictly enforced.
“It is evident that when the law for helmet use was introduced,
road injuries and deaths dramatically decreased because motorcyclists
were well aware they could be punished if they didn’t
wear one,” he said. “If the law was actively and
continuously enforced, drivers wouldn’t violate it.”
Health professionals say public awareness is also a key component
of road safety.
Dr Witaya Chadbunchachai, the deputy director for Khon Kaen
Hospital’s head trauma and critical care centre, believes
that it is equally important to teach people how to use a motorcycle
properly and inform them about why traffic rules must be followed.
“It is of tremendous help to bring in people who have
had a motorcycle accident or those who have been fined for traffic
violations as part of public awareness campaigns,” said
Dr. Witaya. “It helps the audience become more sensitive
about the dangers of going without a helmet.”
Alcohol use is another major cause of motorcycle accidents in
Thailand. According to a report on helmet use by the King Mongkut’s
University of Technology, 83.7 per cent of drivers and passengers,
who had been drinking and neglected to wear a helmet, sustained
severe injuries in 2005.
In addition, the experts at the workshop said many helmets on
the market today were not suitable for all users, while others
had chin cups that were too small or had improperly-designed
locking mechanisms.
Proposed action plans at the workshop included providing agencies
and authorities with higher incentives to enforce the law, making
improvements to current enforcement and bringing emergency services
up to the same standard across the country.
It was also suggested that a course on “road safety”
could be put into school text books, and that a “school
best practice” principle be introduced in primary schools
to educate helmet users of all ages.
The workshop, based on the World Health Organization’s
publication, “Helmets: A road safety manual for decision-makers
and practitioners,” was held in association with Thailand’s
Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, as well
as the government’s Department of Disaster Prevention
and Mitigation.
Tami Toroyan of the WHO’s Injuries and Violence Prevention
Department stressed the importance of promoting helmet use,
noting that wearing a helmet greatly reduced the risk and severity
of injuries by about 72 per cent. She added that a helmet could
decrease the likelihood of accident-related deaths by up to
39 per cent, depending on the speed of the motorcycle involved.
Helmet use can also lower the long-term costs of health care
associated with crashes.
Asked why the manual was focused mainly on motorcyclists, Tami
replied that “motorcyclists make up a large proportion
of road traffic deaths, particularly in Asia, where motorcycle
ownership is increasing.” She added that “the risk
of death or injury is much higher for a motorcyclist than for
a car driver or passenger.”
Officially released in August 2006 by the WHO, the manual aims
to help intensify efforts to support local governments, particularly
those in low-income and middle-income countries to increase
helmet use.
A Thai version of the publication will be released by the end
of this year to all local government and private agencies concerned.
The manual will also be implemented in several countries over
the next two years, starting in the ASEAN region through the
Global Road Safety Initiative, as well as in Africa, Latin America
and the Middle East.
In an attempt to raise greater public awareness and boost prevention
efforts by both local authorities and motorcycle users, the
GRSP plans to organize two more workshops on its helmet action
plan by November 2006 in Laos and Vietnam.
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In
an effort to convince more drivers to strap on a helmet,
the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) recently organized
Southeast Asia’s first-ever Action Plan for Helmet
Wearing Workshop. (p14629)
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“Helmets:
A road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners,”.
In an attempt to raise greater public awareness and boost
prevention efforts by both local authorities and motorcycle
users, the GRSP plans to organize two more workshops on
its helmet action plan by November 2006 in Laos and Vietnam.
(p14625)
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Asked
why the manual was focused mainly on motorcyclists, Tami
replied that “motorcyclists make up a large proportion
of road traffic deaths, particularly in Asia, where motorcycle
ownership is increasing.” She added that “the
risk of death or injury is much higher for a motorcyclist
than for a car driver or passenger.” (p14623)
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