WHICH FEATURES SHOULD THE RIGHT HELMET HAVE?

One of the Road Safety Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) members, Safe Way Right Way (SWRW) on the 29^th of April held a meeting with various stakeholders to talk everything related to helmet standards. In attendance were members of Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) technical team and crucial members from the bodaboda/ motorcycle industry.

According to the chairperson of the Technical Committee Standards Development and Ministry of Trade officer- Prime Fom, motor accidents highly necessitate the need for helmets. While wearing of helmets is important, once the strap is not used, it becomes useless.

The UNBS team shared provisions in draft helmets standards and the sited examples include the composition of the shell, protective padding inside, proper ventilation, a chin strap, a release mechanism, ability to see at a minimum of 105 degrees, sound attenuations like ability to hear etc.

Other key features that were identified are the ventilation for easier breathing and reduction of heat while in use. Prime also identified that once the visors are either dark, tinted and are rigid in movement, it may affect the rider’s visual abilities and cause danger incase of a road crash or emergency.

According to Isabirye Umal, the Makindye chairman of the boda boda industry, we each have a role to play in the safety of the road therefore all road users need sensitization on the right/good road user behavior.

In the parting shots, participants unanimously agreed that classes should be prioritised for boda boda cyclists to learn how to use the road before penalties are imposed on them for going astray.