- By Divanshi Sharma
- Tue, 11 Jun 2024 03:01 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a major push to dramatically reduce road traffic deaths globally, Jean Todt – United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Road Safety has partnered with the road safety advocate, Rajeev Kapur, Managing Director Steelbird Helmets and President - Two-Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association in India on an ambitious new initiative - Helmets for Hope.
1. FIA Helmet Safety Campaigns
Under Jean Todt’s leadership (2009-2021), the FIA launched several campaigns aimed at promoting the use of helmets, especially among motorcyclists and cyclists. These campaigns were part of broader efforts to improve road safety and reduce fatalities.
2. 3500LIVES Campaign (2017-2021)
The #3500LIVES campaign, which Jean Todt spearheaded, included promoting helmet use as a crucial measure to prevent injuries and save lives. The campaign, featuring prominent ambassadors, spread awareness about the importance of wearing helmets and adhering to road safety practices.
3. UN-JCDecaux campaign #Make A Safety Statement (2023-2025)
The United Nations Global Campaign for Road Safety, initiated by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, in collaboration with JCDecaux and with the support of Saatchi & Saatchi, aimed at promoting road safety worldwide under the motto "Make a Safety Statement." Over two years (2023-2025), the campaign is set to reach over 80 countries and 1,000 cities, utilizing various mediums, including billboards, transportation modes, media, and social media.
Fourteen global and dozens of national celebrities have joined forces to advocate for simple and effective road safety rules in the six official UN languages. The messages focus on mitigating the risk factors on the road, including the importance of wearing a helmet and responding to UN regulations. The campaign is available in 6 UN languages and more.
4. Partnerships with NGOs, Corporates and Local Organizations
Jean Todt has worked closely with various non-governmental organizations, corporations and local bodies to distribute helmets and educate communities on their importance. These partnerships often involve:
- Helmet Donations: Distributing helmets to motorcyclists and cyclists in regions with high rates of road accidents. Due to the efforts of Mr. Jean Todt, more than 100000 helmets were distributed under CSR activity in more than 40 countries which included Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cambodia, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ghana, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, and many more.
- Awareness Programs: Conducting workshops and campaigns to educate the public on the life-saving benefits of helmet use.
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5. Visits to Asian and African Countries
Jean Todt has made visits to several Asian and African countries to promote road safety initiatives, including helmet safety. These visits are aimed at raising awareness, garnering political support, and implementing concrete measures to improve road safety. Some notable visits include countries like Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Vietnam, Zimbabwe etc. for collaboration with the Government to strengthen road safety regulations and enforcement. His efforts also included Engaging with local communities, the private sector and NGOs to raise awareness about the importance of wearing helmets and launching campaigns to promote helmet use and other road safety measures.
6. Supporting Research and Development
Jean Todt has supported research into helmet safety, compliant with ECE 22.05 United Nations minimum safety standards for helmets and the development of affordable, high-quality helmets for use in low-income regions. This includes promoting the adoption of UNECE safety standards for helmets and ensuring that helmets are affordable and accessible to those who need them most.
7. Collaboration with International Organizations
As the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Mr. Jean Todt collaborates with various international organizations to promote helmet safety. This includes working with:
- World Health Organization (WHO): Partnering on initiatives to improve road safety and promote helmet use.
- Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF): Supporting projects that include helmet distribution and road safety education.
8. Public Advocacy and Media Engagement
Jean Todt uses his platform to advocate for helmet safety through media engagements and public appearances. His advocacy includes:
- Interviews and Articles: Highlighting the importance of helmets in responding to UN road safety regulations, use in media interviews and articles.
- Social Media Campaigns: Utilizing social media to spread awareness about helmet safety and road safety measures.
Through these comprehensive efforts, Jean Todt has made significant contributions to improving helmet safety, particularly in African countries. His initiatives aim to reduce fatalities and injuries by promoting the consistent use of helmets and enhancing road safety awareness and regulations.
As per Jean Todt “Road crashes are sadly the #1 killer of the young people. A country where road ravages affect entire families and for which I fully support efforts to stop the number of victims on the roads.”
The comprehensive program aims to standardize and mandate the use of certified ventilated helmets for all two-wheeler riders across the globe through a multi-pronged approach involving lawmaking, awareness campaigns, manufacturing incentives, and private-sector participation.
At the heart of Helmets for Hope is a proposal developed by Rajeev Kapur, President of the Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association and Managing Director of Steelbird Helmets to save millions of lives across the world. Rajeev Kapur has submitted a comprehensive proposal to the United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for Road Safety outlining crucial steps to dramatically reduce road fatalities worldwide through increased helmet usage.
After months of development, the extensive proposal provides a blueprint for governments and industries to promote standardized helmet manufacturing, distribution, and enforcement.
A central tenet is mandating and enforcing laws that require two-wheeler manufacturers to supply a minimum of two standardized, compliant helmets with every vehicle sold – one each for the driver and pillion rider. India's 2005 Central Motor Vehicles Rule, which established this requirement, should be replicated across all developing nations.
To make certified helmets more accessible and affordable, the proposal calls for reducing taxes and duties. In India, it recommends lowering the 18% GST on helmets to just 5-12per cent For countries without local production facilities, it advocates eliminating import duties and local taxes on helmets altogether.
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Ensuring only genuine, high-quality helmets reach consumers is another critical focus area. The proposal details establishing independent testing laboratories in collaboration with NGOs to authenticate helmet standards and eliminate non-compliant, substandard, and counterfeit products from the market. Alarmingly, over 50% of helmets currently used by two-wheeler riders globally do not meet safety standards.
Facilitating private sector participation through incentives like mandating corporations allocate a portion of corporate social responsibility funds towards providing quality helmets and promoting road safety awareness is also recommended. Replicating successful initiatives like India's mandatory corporate social responsibility laws globally could unlock significant funding for helmet provision programs.
The proposal emphasizes ensuring large two-wheeler delivery fleets like Amazon, Ola, Uber, Swiggy, Zomato, Delhivery and others procure and provide standardized helmets to all their drivers and riders who currently often use substandard headgear.
Reducing regulatory hurdles, lowering manufacturing costs, and eliminating import taxes on equipment and raw materials could further enable helmet manufacturers to ramp up capabilities and build sufficient standardized helmet production infrastructure globally.
"Compelling evidence highlights the importance of raising awareness about the critical role of proper helmet usage in preventing road traffic injuries. The World Health Organization's Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 states that high-quality helmets can reduce the risk of death by over six times and mitigate the risk of brain injury by up to 74 per cent Despite these startling figures, head injuries continue to be the leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents," stated Kapur.
He further added, "Shockingly, only 54 out of 147 countries have laws on helmet use that align with international best practices. Moreover, globally, as many as 47 per cent of motorcyclists admit to not using helmets correctly. It is in light of these alarming statistics that I have proposed a comprehensive roadmap to the United Nations to save millions of lives through mandating standardized helmet usage worldwide."
The United Nations has welcomed the proposal and is working closely with Kapur and his team to evaluate implementation across member nations. Widespread adoption of the recommendations could potentially save billions of lives over the coming decades.