27 November 2023
Today, the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (the Alliance) and Uber launch a new partnership to stimulate a global push for greater availability of safe, affordable motorcycle helmets.
Motorcyclists account for 28% of all road traffic fatalities worldwide and motorcycle deaths are increasing around the world[1]. Correct use of quality helmets can reduce the risk of dying in a crash by 42% and reduce the risk of a head injury by 69%[2]. As motorcycle usage continues to rise significantly in low- and middle-income countries, increasing helmet use will help to reduce the 1.3 million deaths that occur on the world’s roads every year[3].
Increasing helmet use cannot simply be achieved through educating riders on the safety benefits of helmets, it requires comprehensive laws, mandating the correct use of helmets, combined with enforcement and promotion of the law[4]. To achieve this, motorcycle users must have access to safe, affordable helmets that meet national or international standards.
With support from Uber, the Alliance will convene a global working group of road safety experts that will develop tools to support civil society advocacy for increased availability of safe, affordable, effective helmets.
NGOs are at the forefront of advocacy for motorcycle helmet use, laws, standards, and enforcement. The tools developed will bring together successful case studies from NGOs around the world that can be used as inspiration for other civil society advocates seeking to increase safe helmet usage in their countries. They will consider the barriers to safe helmet use, including affordability, availability, lack of standards, and misconceptions, and how these can be overcome with reference to NGOs’ experiences.
“We know that effective motorcycle helmets save lives,” said Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Alliance. “NGOs have an important role in pushing for helmet laws and enforcement, ensuring that helmets are affordable, available, and fit for purpose, and raising community understanding of why these laws are needed.”
“We are proud to support the Alliance in the formation of a global working group to address the issue of helmets for the growing number of two and three wheelers,” said Kristin Smith, Global Head of Road Safety Policy at Uber. “We hope to leverage our scale to improve helmet use and motorcycle safety on and off the platform.”
—–
About Uber
Uber’s mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 42 billion trips later, we’re building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
About the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety
The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (the Alliance) represents more than 300 member NGOs working in road safety and safe mobility from 100-plus countries around the world. The Alliance is a registered nonprofit organization and is the platform for NGOs worldwide to share knowledge and collectively advocate for road safety and the rights of victims of road traffic crashes. The Alliance provides services to its members in three key areas: 1) a strong network 2) advocacy and accountability, and 3) capacity building.
[1] World Health Organization. (2018). Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization
[2] World Health Organization. (2018). Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization
[3] World Health Organization. (2018). Global status report on road safety 2018. Geneva: World Health Organization
[4] Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (2023), Accountability Toolkit
