Summary: Since the Police enforcement of requirements including the compulsory wearing of helmets by motorcyclists, there have been claims and counterclaims about how it reduces death and injuries. Senator Amara Konneh claims that wearing a helmet reduces head injury by 69%. We checked and found that his claim is correct.
On Thursday, May 16, Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh claimed in a Facebook post that wearing helmets can reduce the level of head injury by 69% and death by 42% respectively.
Sen. Konneh used the United Nations Road Safety Fund as his reliance.
Senator Konneh, the Chairman of Public Accounts and Audits at the Liberian Senate, supported the Liberian National Police May 15, 2024 ‘No Go Zone’ restriction for motorcyclists plying ELWA Junction to Broad Street.
The claim
Mr. Konneh’s exact claim: “According to the United Nations Road Safety Fund, certified motorcycle helmets can reduce the risk of severe head injury by 69% and death by 42% if used properly.”
Rating Justification
To authenticate Sen. Konneh’s claim, Local Voices Liberia (LVL) launched an inquiry. In our search, we found a motorcycle helmet study report by the United Nations, conducted in 2016.
The report highlights the risks including injuries and death associated with riding motorbikes without helmets. It also stressed the need for consistent helmet standards and regulations, and the introduction of helmet-wearing policies.
The report shows that “wearing an appropriate helmet improves their chances of survival by 42 percent and helps avoid 69 percent of injuries to riders.”
To further verify, we found another project report by the UN Road Safety Fund (RSF) – a global partnership working to help reduce road deaths and injuries in low and middle-income countries. This report shows that the proper use of helmets can reduce the risk of injuries and death by a considerable percentage.
It shows that “If properly used, certified motorcycle helmets reduce the risk of severe head injury by 69% and death by 42%,” supporting Sen. Konneh’s claim.
We also checked several reports by the World Health Organization (WHO). This time, we found a WHO ‘Road Traffic Injuries’ report published on December 13, 2023. The report also shows that “correct helmet use can reduce the risk of death in a crash by more than six times and the risk of brain injury by up to 74%.”
Conclusion
This report is produced with funding from the USAID Media Activity. The funder has No say in the editorial decisions leading to the production of this content