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MOTORCYCLE accidents are already considered by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as a “public health epidemic”
in the Philippines and in many Asian countries.
Last
year 2,798, or 24 percent, of all motor-vehicle
accidents involved motorcycles. In Metro Manila alone a
total of 8,968 injuries caused by motor-vehicle
accidents were recorded, with 250 persons dying over the
last three years, or an average of 83 fatalities a year.
In a
report released by the WHO, nearly 1.2 million people
die of road- traffic accidents every year, with young
motorcyclists (mostly under 25) making up a significant
percentage of fatalities among road users in Asian
countries. Factors such as speed, no helmets,
risk-taking behavior and drunk-driving contribute to the
rising trend.
The WHO
reported that most motorcycle deaths are a result of
head injuries. While wearing a helmet correctly can cut
the risk of death by almost 40 percent, and the risk of
severe injury by 72 percent, many countries do not
strictly enforce laws covering the use of quality
protective helmets.
Aside
from boosting the local helmet manufacturing industry’s
global competitive advantage, the Department of Trade
and Industry’s Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS) has
adopted the United Nations Economic Commission on Europe
(UNECE) regulation on protective helmet and their visors
for motorcycles as a Philippine National Standard (PNS)
in order to help lessen, if not totally eradicate, the
frequency of motorcycle-related deaths through quality
motorcycle helmets.
The
bureau has adopted the UN ECE standard specifications
and test methods for protective helmets as PNS/UN ECE
22:2007 to provide the industry with a reference
standard in manufacturing reliable protective helmets
and ensure the public that helmets sold in the market
are reliable and would protect motorcyclists from
serious head injuries.
The said
standard on protective helmet is only one of the 463 PNS
for motor vehicles and automotive parts/components that
were developed, harmonized with international standard,
and promulgated by DTI-BPS to raise global
competitiveness of local automotive products, to level
the playing field among manufacturers and, more
important, to protect motorists and passengers from
substandard products.
The PNS/UN
ECE 22:2007—Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval
of Protective Helmets and Their Visors for Drivers and
Passengers of Motorcycles and Mopeds—specifies the
standard requirements and test methods for protective
helmets for motorcycle and mopeds drivers and passengers
with or without sidecar. It also applies to visors
fitted to such helmets or intended to be added to them.
Protective helmets are worn primarily to protect the
wearer’s head from impact. As specified in the
standard, it shall be in the form of a hard outer shell
that is designed to protect the cranial areas of users
in the event of a collision, crash or fall. It shall
contain additional means of absorbing impact energy such
as protective padding, and shall have a retention system
such as chin-strap that secures the position of the
helmet and prevents it from flying off the wearer’s head
during quick head movements or accident.
The
standard also states that the helmet shall not
dangerously affect the wearer’s ability to hear. The
visor, which is added to serve as an eye protection for
the rider, shall not cause any distortion of object or
cause confusion on the color recognition of traffic
signals.
Also,
the inside of the helmet shall be free from sharp edges
and the rigid, projecting internal parts shall be
covered with protective padding. Moreover, the material
used on the helmet shall not undergo major alteration
under the influence of aging, exposure to sun, extreme
temperature and rain.
Furthermore, the standard specifies that the various
components of the protective helmet such as visors, ear
flaps, lower face cover and chin-strap shall not be
easily detached after impact. When subjected to impact
absorption and rigidity test, the helmet shall not
exhibit breakage or deformation that is dangerous to the
wearer and the visor shall not have sharp splinters if
shattered.
The said
PNS on protective helmets was adopted based on the
recommendation of the BPS Technical Committee on Road
Vehicles, Subcommittee on Motor Cycles (BPS/TC44/SC22),
which is composed of representatives from the industry
associations, academe, consumer organization and other
government agencies, to ensure that the standard
developed is a consensus among stakeholders and would
address the various needs of the society.
With the
standard ready, the DTI expects manufacturers to conform
to the requirements of the PNS and make available
protective helmets that would perform as intended, which
is to protect its wearer’s head in the event of
vehicular accidents or crash.
For
consumers, never underestimate the protection provided
by the use of helmets. It is always better to take
precautions than suffer the consequences. Everybody
should take responsibility by educating the family about
the safety of using helmets.
As the
National Standards Body of the Philippines, the Bureau
of Product Standards continues to develop and promulgate
standards to advance trade and, at the same time,
protect the interests of consumers.
* * *
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your feedback and queries to konsyumeratbp@gmail.com.
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