About Us

Motorcycle and bicycle use is widespread throughout the world. Daily, millions of people use motorcycles and bicycles for transportation and for recreation. A needlessly large number of cyclists are killed or permanently disabled as a result of a head injury received from a fall or during a crash. Regrettably, many of these head injuries could have been prevented or their severity reduced through the use of a simple and inexpensive helmet.

Created in 1991, the World Health Organization Helmet Initiative promotes the use of motorcycle and bicycle helmets worldwide and serves as a resource for those wishing to learn more about helmets and to promote their use. The Helmet Initiative stimulates and provides a resource to public health agencies, safety organizations, nongovernmental organizations and other agencies to promote the use of helmets. The WHO Helmet Initiative focuses on five strategies to promote universal helmet use. These strategies are complementary and are key collaborative elements in this worldwide effort.

The Strategies

1. Maintain a reference library on helmet promotion and efficacy
In cooperation with SafetyLit, the Helmet Initiative will maintain an online database of published articles that examine a number of aspects of motorcycle and bicycle helmet design, effectiveness, and promotion strategies. This database has been developed through a comprehensive search of over 500 journals and reports from organizations and government agencies. The database is periodically updated to incorporate the latest publications about helmets.

2. Serve as a focal point for communication on helmets
This web site is the WHO Helmet Initiative’s primary means of communication. On this web site, we have links to our literature database, news of helmet programs, and links to other important web-based organizations and resources. We also publish a quarterly web-based magazine (“e-zine”), Headlines. Headlines publishes latest news about helmet research, innovative strategies to promote helmets, and changes in helmet laws. We welcome articles and photographs from our readers.

3. Develop a network of Cooperating Helmet Initiative Programs
We are establishing an international network of helmet promotion programs to expand and strengthen worldwide helmet promotion activities. Since 1994, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust has been a Cooperating Helmet Initiative Program, serving as a technical resource for others in the UK and in Europe. The Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust works to promote the use of cycle helmets for children in the UK. If you work with an exemplary program that promotes motorcycle or bicycle helmets and your program is able to share its expertise with others, consider applying to be a Cooperating Helmet Initiative Program (CHIP).

4. Provide e-mail support to those seeking specific information on motorcycle and bicycle helmets
The WHO Helmet Initiative will provide e-mail technical assistance to community programs and public health agencies seeking information on helmets. Please feel free to contact the Helmet Initiative (info@whohelmets.org) if you feel we can provide answers to your questions about promoting helmets.

5. Stimulate research
The WHO Helmet Initiative will seek to improve helmet design by promoting and stimulating research. We are particularly interested in the development and promotion of motorcycle and motorbike helmets for use in tropical countries.

Helmet Initiative Meetings
Meetings of the WHO Helmet Initiative are held in conjunction with the world conferences on injury prevention. The next meeting will be held during the 8th Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion to be held in Durban, South Africa, April 2-5, 2006.

Participation In The Initiative
Participation in the WHO Helmet Initiative is open to any individual or organization interested in the promotion of bicycle and motorcycle helmets. There are no dues. Members will, however, be asked to contribute their expertise to one of the Helmet Initiative strategies and to share their own technical resources on helmet promotion.

For further information contact:
Dr. Philip L. Graitcer
WHO Helmet Initiative
(email address: info@whohelmets.org)