Independent testing has revealed that motorcycle helmets commonly worn in countries including India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Vietnam are failing to provide adequate crash protection. The Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety announced that none of the 11 helmets tested across 10 countries met all three basic international safety tests, with only one helmet passing even a single test.
The helmets, sourced from local shops or directly from riders, were sent to an accredited laboratory with funding from FIA Foundation and technical support from Galeatus LLC. Despite many originating from countries with official helmet standards, the results highlight a dangerous gap between regulation and reality.
“This is unacceptable. People are doing the right thing by wearing helmets, but when those helmets are unsafe, they are let down when they need protection the most,” said Lotte Brondum, Executive Director, Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety.
The findings were presented at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech and back the Alliance’s white paper Making Safe Helmets a Reality for All. The report calls on governments, manufacturers, and global stakeholders to eliminate nonstandard helmets from markets, strengthen regulations, and ensure certified helmets are affordable and accessible.
Agnieszka Krasnolucka, Programmes Director at FIA Foundation, added, “Substandard helmets give riders a false sense of safety. Replacing counterfeit products with certified helmets is a growing emergency as motorcycle fleets expand worldwide.”
The Alliance urged immediate global action to prevent unsafe helmets from continuing to endanger millions of riders and passengers daily.
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