The Safe Helmets for Asia Pacific Initiative (SHAP) held its inaugural workshop at the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila, Philippines, supported by the FIA Foundation and AIP Foundation.

The SHAP workshop, held on 11th and 12th September, welcomed delegates representing Cambodia, China, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam to share experiences, build knowledge, and begin shaping their country roadmaps for safer helmets. Over the two days, representatives heard from governments, development partners (including GRSP, Global Alliance, FIA, and GHAI), academia, auto clubs, and civil society on key components and approaches to strengthen helmet safety and reduce head injuries across the region.

More than half of the world’s road traffic fatalities occur in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, where powered two- and three-wheelers account for nearly half of deaths. Safe helmet use reduces the risk of death sixfold and the risk of brain injury by up to 74%, but progress has been uneven across the region, particularly in opening access to quality helmets. The SHAP Initiative, part of FIA Foundation’s global Motorcycle Initiative, aims to change this by supporting governments to legislate, enforce, and promote universal access to certified helmets.

Opening remarks came from FIA Foundation Programmes Director Aggie Krasnolucka and ADB Transport Lead Jamie Leather, highlighting the urgency of improving helmet safety in the Asia Pacific region.

A series of panel sessions provided space for in-depth discussions on the regional landscape and the frameworks needed to achieve universal helmet safety. Context and Obstacles in Asia-Pacific to Ensure Safe Helmets for All was facilitated by Chika Sakashita of the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety, with panelists: Alvin Mejia, Asian Transport Observatory; Greig Craft, AIP Foundation and Automobile Association Vietnam; Visal They, National Police of Cambodia; Ariana Childs Graham, Global Health Advocacy Incubator; and Joe Ferreria, Automobile Association Philippines. Best Practice Approaches to Strengthening Helmet Standard Legislation session was facilitated by Rafaela Machado of the FIA Foundation, with panelists: Ishtiaque Ahmed, UNESCAP; Shaw Voon Wong, MIROS; Patrick Kho, Singapore Road Safety Council; Ratana Winther, AIP Foundation; and Krishnan Srinivasan, World Bank Global Road Safety Facility. Building National and Regional Collaborations for Helmet Safety was facilitated by Ratana Winther of AIP Foundation, with panelists: Jenny-Donghua Xia, Global Road Safety Partnership; Nikorn Chamnong, Committee for Transport Safety of the Thai Parliament; Quy Linh, Automobile Association of Vietnam; and Sunil Joshi, Nepal Injury Research Centre.

Complementing the panels were spotlight sessions that highlighted specific areas of practice and innovation. Terry Smith, Galeatus LLC presented on Developing and Implementing a Motorcycle Helmet Standard. Best Practice Approaches to Strengthening Helmet Enforcement was delivered by Dave Cliff, Global Road Safety Partnership CEO, and Thu Ha Trinh, National Traffic Safety Committee Deputy Chief. Strengthening Safety for Commercial Motorcycle Riders and Workers was facilitated by Khe Nguyen of AIP Foundation, with panelists: Willem Groenewald, FIA; Jervy Renz Gerardo, Grab Philippines; Abdul Bachani, Johns Hopkins University; and Piseth Im, AIP Foundation. Financing Safe and Quality Helmets: Techniques to Improve Affordability was facilitated by Britta Lang of the Global Road Safety Partnership, with speakers: Terry Smith, Galeatus LLC; Mirjam Sidik, AIP Foundation; and Priti Gautam, Asian Development Bank.

The country discussions followed these sessions, identifying national priorities before pausing for lunch. Groups then worked together on setting national priorities and creating a roadmap to safer helmets, presenting their outcomes before closing with next steps for SHAP.

“The SHAP Initiative is about saving lives,” said Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director. “We know that safe, certified helmets are one of the most effective tools to prevent death and serious injury for motorcycle riders. By working together across the region, governments and partners can ensure every rider, every passenger, and every family is protected.”