Countries from across Asia-Pacific came together in Hanoi, Vietnam to strengthen efforts to make motorcycle helmets safer and more accessible, at the Safe Helmets for Asia Pacific (SHAP) Summit 2026, hosted by the FIA Foundation and AIP Foundation.

Held under the theme 'Partnerships for Safer Helmets: Accelerating Action Across Asia-Pacific', the Summit brought together government representatives, road safety experts, development partners, civil society, Auto Clubs and industry to address the challenge of ensuring that helmets are not only widely worn but also able to protect riders. Over three days, participants from Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam shared experiences, built technical knowledge and mapped national plans for safer helmets.

More than half of the world's road traffic deaths occur in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, where powered two- and three-wheelers account for more than a third of fatalities. A safe helmet reduces the risk of death sixfold and the risk of brain injury by up to 74%. However, progress has been uneven across the region, particularly in access to quality helmets, and high helmet-wearing rates alone do not guarantee protection. Effective helmet safety depends on strong systems covering standards, testing and certification, product quality, market surveillance, enforcement, public awareness, affordability and access.

Opening the Summit, FIA Foundation Programmes Director Aggie Krasnolucka was joined by Dr Ngo Anh Tuan, Director, Academy of Strategy and Construction Cadre Training under Vietnam's Ministry of Construction; FIA Foundation Trustee and AA Singapore President Bernard Tay; and AIP Foundation Founder and President Sir Greig Craft. World Health Organization Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt delivered the keynote address on helmet safety as a public health priority.

The Summit's programme included a case study on Vietnam's helmet safety journey from policy to practice, alongside panels and discussions on the science behind certified helmets, building safe helmet systems from standards to implementation, testing and quality assurance capacity, enforcement and market surveillance, and making safe helmets affordable and accessible. Sessions also examined how government cooperation and partnerships between government and non-government organisations can accelerate results.

Participants also joined a technical field visit to the Protec helmet factory, including a helmet testing demonstration, and took part in a series of country workshops, culminating in the presentation of country action plans with peer feedback.

At the close of the Summit, participating countries presented their own road maps for helmet safety progress and identified focuses such as helmet standards, testing and certification, quality assurance, market surveillance, enforcement and affordability as key areas for continued action, and agreed to further regional cooperation through the SHAP Initiative.

The SHAP Summit builds on the initiative's inaugural regional workshop in Manila, providing a platform for countries and partners to share knowledge, strengthen capacity and support practical action on motorcycle helmet safety across the region. SHAP is convened by the FIA Foundation as part of its wider Motorcycle Initiative, a global hub of interventions working to improve motorcycle safety through action on helmet safety, manufacturing, enforcement and legislation.

Aggie Krasnolucka, Programmes Director, FIA Foundation, said: "Motorcycles are an essential way to move across countries of Asia Pacific. Safe, certified helmets are one of the most effective solutions to prevent death and serious injury for motorcycle riders. SHAP brings together the region for governments and technical partners to focus on how every rider, every passenger, and every family is protected."

Sir Greig Craft, Founder and President, AIP Foundation, said: "We must now ensure that the helmets people wear are safe, certified and capable of providing meaningful protection. SHAP gives countries across Asia-Pacific an opportunity to learn from one another and work together to build stronger helmet safety systems."

Dr Terry Smith, international helmet expert and road safety specialist, said: "SHAP is bringing countries together to understand and tackle the shared challenges across the Asia Pacific Region. We've been building technical expertise about what makes a protective and effective helmet, showing how manufacturing and testing can be achieved right here in Vietnam, and setting up the road map for policy and implementation across the region."