The government is set to issue necessary guidelines next week to enforce the use of authorised helmets for motorbike users as substandard and unsafe ones have gone out of control, especially in the capital.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is leading the move after the government formed a committee to formulate the guidelines for safe and standard helmets.
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) officials, experts from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and others are on the committee.
"This is a very important matter. We have worked on it and will issue necessary guidelines within next week," BRTA Chairman Mohammed Yasin told The Financial Express.
"We have the BSTI guidelines for standard helmets, but no directive has been issued yet to enforce their use," he added.
Dr Md Asif Raihan, an associate professor at the Accident Research Institute (ARI) of BUET, told The Financial Express they have almost completed the policy framework for the use of safe and standard helmets and its enforcement.
"In the framework, we have recommended introducing barcodes and QR codes on helmets so that traffic policemen can find the details of the standard products without any hassle. The codes will be like the ones we see on the packets of food items that are used to ensure the BSTI standard," said the expert, who is a key member of the government-formed committee working with BSTI since 2023.
BSTI now has the technical capacity to test standard helmets and provide certification. However, the major question lies in the policy's implementation, he said.
"We need training for traffic police. Once we implement the policy, we will reach the second stage of motorbike use safety," Dr Raihan added.
Motorbikes have become a dominant means of transport in the country, especially among youths and those offering ridesharing services. However, most bikers and pillion riders use substandard helmets that cannot ensure safety.
According to an ARI survey, only 10 per cent of motorcycle riders and 2 per cent of pillion passengers use high-quality helmets.
Motorbikes are also responsible for a large number of road accidents. In 2024, 9,085 men and 714 women were victims of motorcycle accidents. Of them, 2,362 died, according to the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh.
As many as 78.62 per cent of the accident victims were between 15 and 23 years of age.
92.33 per cent of the female victims were passengers. The statistics are based on data from the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation in Dhaka.
For higher safety, users must use standard and safe products, experts said.
"We conducted a survey in 2021 with the help of the World Bank to learn the types of helmet bike riders and pillion passengers use. We found that some riders and only a few pillion passengers use standard (full-fledged) helmets. But it was supposed to be 100 per cent," Dr Raihan said.
"This was a very shocking outcome as these substandard products are not only unable to provide safety but can also cause harm in case of an accident," he added.
Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, a professor in the Department Of Civil Engineering at BUET and a prominent transport expert, said what most people use as helmets are nothing but plastic toys and these products cannot protect users when needed.
He emphasised BSTI's broader standard testing facility and training of police to easily detect authorised products that use technology.
"Our government institutions are not efficient. We have to focus on capacity building and incorporate the right persons (experts from the sectors concerned) in the technical government committees to move forward properly. Bureaucrats can hardly help in this regard," he told The Financial Express.
Dr Hoque expressed dissatisfaction with the uncontrolled number of motorbikes on the streets, blaming the authorities for a "faulty" import policy that led to the situation.
"The number of bikes is not being controlled in the country despite it being a risky means of transport. Its risk level is 30 per cent higher than four-wheelers," he said, suggesting controlling the number of two-wheelers on the streets.
Experts at a recent event in Dhaka said standard helmets can lower the likelihood of severe head injuries by 69 per cent.
Data shows motorcycles were responsible for 43.42 per cent of all road-related deaths in January this year. The reasons include the use of substandard helmets and reckless driving amid allowing an uncontrolled number of bikes on the streets.
Experts emphasised helmets should be used as life-saving gear rather than just for meeting legal requirements.
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