Yes, there are far more people wearing a crash helmet than before, but it is still nowhere near the 99% that has been campaigned for as long as most of us can remember.
As with any subject of this nature, the one thing that can change people’s thinking is education, but sadly there are some people out there who are happy to remain uneducated and will not change their habits or thinking on wearing a helmet.
But there is one group of people that should be educated to wear helmets, one who can really make a difference when it comes to changing habits and thinking – school children.
We have seen campaigns run at schools, often where free helmets have also been distributed, but it is clear that these campaigns have not had the intended impact. How can we say this? Just go to any school at the start or finish of the school day and see for yourself how many students arrive or leave on a motorcycle not wearing a helmet. It really is astonishing.
But who can blame these kids when firstly there is a lack of consistent law enforcement for helmet wearing. Secondly they have parents who, for reasons known only to them, are happy for themselves and their kids to ride without helmets. And finally, that when they arrive or leave school not wearing a helmet they do so knowing that no school official gives two hoots about them doing so.
We can blame the police until we are blue in the face when it comes to this issue, but does the buck truly lie with them alone? Surely responsibility should also lie with the school officials who seem to have absolutely no concern for their student’s health and safety.
These schools should be making a point of educating their students to wear helmets, and if they really want to get serious about the matter, should even contemplate introducing a system where those students caught riding without a helmet, even with their parents, are fined for doing so.
It’s often too late to educate the older generation, but it’s never too late to educate the younger generation.
If this is done from a young enough age, who knows, maybe these kids might also be able to change their parent’s habits and way of thinking.