Children without motorcycle helmets risk their lives

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KAJANG: The accident statistics provided by the Royal Malaysian Police indicated 3,816 motorcyclists died in road mishaps in 2015.

Out of this number, 1,295 of the victims were not wearing safety helmet while another 158 failed to strap the helmet.

According to a study conducted by researchers from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), the figures include between 500 and 1,000 children who end up injured or dead each year for failing to use the helmet.

The blame goes to the parents who disregard their children’s safety. In fact the parents themselves are no good example for their children as they too do not use the helmet when riding on motorcycles.

The same study indicated 97 per cent of the children ridding pillion did not get sufficient protection against injuries in the event of an accident or fall.

Even among the children who used the helmet, 37 per cent of them used helmets meant for adults, 24 per cent used toy helmets and 36 per cent hardly wore any helmet.

The executive director of Safe Kids Malaysia UPM Associate Professor Dr Kulanthayan KC Mani noted based on the observations made by his organisation around the Klang Valley, only three per cent of the children on motorcycle were using helmets with its safety standard approved by SIRIM.

“Safe Kids Malaysia UPM with the cooperation of the Road Safety Department of Malaysia (JKJR) has taken steps to create awareness among parents on why it is important to wear the helmet when they take their children on their motorcycle,” he said.

Dr Kulanthayan, a  lecturer at UPM’s Medical Faculty, said this to  Bernama when met during the recent Motorcycle Riders Head Injury Prevention programme here.

At the programme about 40 students of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Tamil Kajang received helmets with SIRIM safety certification. The helmets were sponsored by the Safe Kids Worldwide and Halliburton Charitable Foundation, both from the United States.

About eight schools so far have received the free helmets through the programme that would be extended to another 15 schools. The programme is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 under the United Nations that targets to halve the road fatalities by 2020.

JKJR Selangor’s director Mohammad Fakhri Mansor noted “this is something really serious…many of the motorcyclists and pillion riders who refuse to don the helmets are from the outskirts. Also, the helmets used by the adults or children must have safety certification and should fit properly”.

Meanwhile, a lorry driver, K. Muthu, 41, noted that he always ensured his children wore the helmets when ridding pillion with him.

“I have been involved in accidents twice when riding on my motorcycle and am thankful that I was not badly injured though once I ended up under the lorry. Luckily I had my helmet on,” said the father of one of the helmet recipients in the school.

The father of three noted the first accident happened while he was on his way to work in KLIA, Sepang and the second one in 2014 in Jalan Cheras.

“In the 2014 accident I was thrown off my motorcycle after it was grazed by a car and I sought treatment for my injured leg at a nearby clinic,” he said on how he escaped from head injuries due to the helmet he was wearing. — Bernama