Helmet alliance roots for quality control to curb motorcycle deaths » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 13 — The Kenyan National Helmet Wearing Coalition has called for firm quality control measures on protective headgear to curb rising fatalities arising from motorcycle crashes.
The alliance launched the appeal on Tuesday following the publication of a new report that revealed an alarmingly low helmet-wearing rate among riders and pillion passengers.
Helmet-wearing among pillion passengers in Nairobi stood at a paltry 15 per cent with 63 per cent of riders reporting wearing the protective gear.
“High-risk roads in Nairobi saw just 63 per cent of boda boda drivers and 15 per cent of pillion passengers wearing helmets,” the report named ‘A Fare Price: An Investigation into the Health Costs of Motorcycle Taxi Crashes in Kenya’, noted.
The report also showed head injuries accounted for over a third of treated cases of motorcycle accidents with victims spending an average of eighteen days in hospital.
“Head injuries are the leading cause of hospital admission and make up more than one-third of all injuries (35 per cent), according to the analysis of hospital records from two hospitals in Nairobi,” the alliance noted.
High economic burden
At least 28 per cent of the cases sampled spent more than three weeks in hospital with medical expenses averaging 4.5 times the riders’ annual incomes.
In Kenya, registered motorcycles have risen to 2.2 million making up for an average of 22 million journeys, with fares totalling USD100 million daily.
The personal and economic cost, however, is high, and motorcycle users make up 35 per cent of all Kenyan road deaths in 2023 (NPS, 2024), with low helmet prevalence and quality being a major issue according to the report.
The report studied boda boda helmet usage through hospital data, observational studies, in-depth interviews, and national data analysis.
Research has shown that a motorcycle helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42 per cent and the risk of head injury by 69 per cent in a crash (UNECE, 2016).
“Almost 1,000 individuals were treated for motorcycle crash injuries in just an 18-month period, where the mean stay was 18 days, and 28 per cent of patients stayed more than three weeks,” the coalition reported.
“Most victims aged below 35, with boda boda drivers (62 per cent) more frequently injured than pillion passengers. Six per cent of patients died during treatment. However, roadside deaths are not recorded by hospitals, and wider data is limited.”
While there is no data specific to motorcycle crashes, World Bank (2020) estimates the burden of overall road traffic injuries to the Kenyan economy at USD6.5 billion.
Helmet testing lab
Further, the most expensive forms of treatment relate to head and limb injury types, which are the most common among motorcycle users.
“Personal testimonies revealed boda boda drivers with healthcare costs equal to up to 4.5 years of salary, with many drivers unable to return to work for more than one year after a crash,” the report noted.
Most boda boda drivers interviewed reported wearing helmets but had a mixed understanding of helmet safety and the role of helmet standards.
“Only 14 per cent of drivers were confident that they were wearing quality helmets. Compliance was mainly focused on enforcement rather than personal safety,” the coalition observed.
The report identified a lack of public awareness around helmet safety and standards as a key challenge recommending corrective measures to reverse the trend.
It proposed the establishment of a helmet testing laboratory, the first in East Africa, to address substandard helmets that fail to protect drivers from serious injury.
“In Kenya trauma in the form of musculoskeletal and head injuries are most common injuries because of motorcycle-related crashes,” George Njao, Director General NTSA, noted in remarks during the unveiling of the report.
“Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable because they have limited protective equipment that could prevent major traumas in the event of a crash,” he observed.
Data-driven interventions
Njao cited the unavailability of reliable data locally as a key challenge to addressing the problem.
“Based on the report being released today it is evident that riders face significant risks due to the absence of appropriate helmets. We require helmets that meet international standards, and we will work together with all relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of our motorcyclists,” he said.
Njao welcomed the report’s findings saying they will support the government in adopting “evidence-based interventions including the establishment of helmet testing centers.”
Dr Gladys Nyachieo, the report’s principal investigator, called for enhanced enforcement of existing legislation to stop the carnage.
“Medical costs from motorcycle crash injuries have adverse effects on the lives of those affected and the community at large in the short- and the long-term,” she pointed out.
“There is a need for more enforcement of existing legislation and helmet standards for safety for pillion and operators. Let all stakeholders commit to creating safer roads and safer helmets for all users,” she appealed.
Aggie Krasnolucka, Programmes Director of the FIA Foundation, reiterated the need for quality assurance of protective headgear.
“Building safer journeys starts with understanding the importance of high-quality helmets,” she stated.
“It is clear from this new report that Kenya needs better data and awareness of helmet wearing, and most importantly means to testify their quality. The FIA Foundation is pleased to support the Kenyan National Helmet Coalition that aims to achieve just that.”
Sam Clark, Transaid Head of Programmes, rooted for data-driven interventions to promote road safety.
“Transaid is proud to be one part of this research. It has highlighted the need for strong data related to the health outcomes of motorcycle crashes to ensure that more in-depth research is done on the project.”
About The Author
