Helmet safety ratings could save 50 lives
Fifty lives a year could be saved by groundbreaking motorcycle helmet safety ratings, according to Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick...
Ratings for 56 of the most popular full face helmets on the market have been published after testing by SHARP - the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme set up in a world-first by the Department for Transport.
The SHARP tests – which award ratings of between one and five stars – showed that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as much as 70%. Mr Fitzpatrick said: “Too many motorcyclists are dying on our roads. They account for just 1% of all road traffic, but for 19% of all those killed. But if all riders wore the safest helmets available 50 lives could be saved each year.
“Helmets from across a wide price range and from a variety of manufacturers have received four or five stars - so all riders should be able to find a high-scoring helmet in a size and style that fits them and at a price they want to pay.”
Head injuries occur in 80% of all motorcyclist fatalities and in 70% of these the head injury is the most serious. All helmets must meet minimum legal safety standards but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to provide riders with more information on how much protection a helmet can provide in a crash.
The advice is aimed at helping riders to chose the safest helmet suitable for them. Further information is available at www.direct.gov.uk/ sharp Meanwhile, more of Britain’s roads could be designed with the safety of motorcyclists in mind following the launch of a new website www.motorcycleguidelines.org.uk
For the first time, the Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers Guidelines for Motorcycling are available online. The guidelines say that the specific needs of motorcyclists must be taken into account in the design, operation and maintenance of the road environment if road safety is to be maximised. Broken down into individual chapters the website explains how motorcycles need to be considered in policy, design and maintenance, parking and road safety. The website has been funded by the Department for Transport and IHIE, the professional qualifying institution for incorporated engineers and technicians in highways, traffic, transport and construction, delivering sustainable transport for the UK, with support from the RAC Foundation.
Mr Fitzpatrick said: “Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups on British roads. That is why the Government is fully committed to reducing motorcycle casualties.”