The increase in accidents involving motorcycles and scooters worldwide has always been the object of study. And it has not been an issue alien to the world health organization.To do a bit of history, we leave you this fragment of a document called Safety guide motorcycles, which collects the first impressions on the subject of safety when riding a motorcycle.
“In many parts of the Region, accidents are the leading cause of mortality in the most active age groups. More than half of these deaths are caused by road traffic accidents. In some countries, especially where rapid motorization is occurring, motorcycle accidents claim the greatest number of deaths among adolescents. In this context, WHO has selected the prevention of accidents as its theme for World Health Day in 1993.
All this has encouraged me to prepare this small pamphlet setting out safety guidelines on the use of motorcycles. If followed, they will certainly help to reduce the toU of unnecessary injuries aDd deaths. While this pamphlet has been written primarily for use of health workers, I believe its contents could be useful to all motorcycle users.
I would like to thank Dr AJ. McLean, of the Road Accident Research Unit, University of Adelaide, Australia, which is a WHO Collaborating Center for the prevention and control of road traffic accidents, for his very valuable contribution to the preparation of these guidelines”.
S.T. Han, MD, Ph.D.
Regional Director