LAST year, 533,875 road accidents were recorded, with 6,740 fatalities.
From the total number of road fatalities, 64.5 per cent involved motorcyclists. On average, the country loses 1,000 children every year to road accidents.
In 2016, statistics showed that head injuries were the main cause of death among motorcyclists at 56.4 per cent, followed by multiple injuries (29.6 per cent), which may include head injuries.
Thus fatalities among motorcyclists due to head injuries range from 56.4 to 86 per cent.
We need to do more to prevent head injuries among motorcyclists and the only safety tool we have is a helmet.
A helmet can reduce risks of injuries by 72 per cent and the probability of death by 39 per cent.
We need ensure that every motorcyclist (rider or pillion rider) wears a helmet.
We must also ensure they wear helmets certified by the Malaysian Standards MS1:1996 or MS1:2011.
These helmets carry the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim) label.
The government had introduced regulations on motorcycle helmets in 1973, yet 40 years on, we are recording high numbers of head injuries among motorcyclists.
Despite having a law and upgrading of helmets, it was found that the use of the right product was low.
These issues have to be addressed:
FIRST, children need to use child-size helmets instead of adult helmets.
Studies by Universiti Putra Malaysia showed that only three per cent of motorcyclists use the right size for a child’s helmet.
Ninety-seven per cent of children riding on motorcycles are at risk of injuries because 37 per cent of them use adult helmets, which do not provide protection during a crash.
We have another 36 per cent of children riding on motorcycles using plastic, bicycle and gaming helmets, which are not designed for motorcycle travel. And 24 per cent of children are at high risk because they do not wear helmets at all;
SECOND, the message that we want to get across is that motorcyclists must fasten the strap of their helmets. Wear them properly.
The right way is for the strap to touch the chin to ensure there is no space between the chin and the strap.
However, if users feel uncomfortable with the strap, then the maximum space to be allowed between the chin and strap is a space of two fingers.
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL ASSOCIATE PROF DR KUALANTHAYAN K.C. MANI
Executive director, Safe Kids Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia