HRH Prince Michael of Kent speaking at the campaign launch
The campaign team in the Crete city of Chania talking to riders about the importance of wearing helmets
The winners of an innovative competition to promote motorcycle helmets were guests of the Federation Internationle d’Motorcyclisme (FIM) at the final round of the 2011 Moto GP series in Valencia, Spain. The campaign, ‘On the Head and Strapped On!’ was run by Make Road Safe Hellas in the Greek island of Crete with support from the FIA Foundation as part of the Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative (GHVI). The campaign featured a prize draw for riders observed wearing their helmets correctly. The riders were entered in a series of prize draws either for high-quality helmets donated by the Italian Helmet manufacturer Nolan or VIP tickets to the Moto GP event, offered by the FIM.
The observation phase of the campaign was run in June and September and the lucky winners of the VIP trip were Antreas Augeros and Christos Tournas. Both were welcomed at Valencia Moto GP race by the President of the FIM, Vito Ippolito.
Annually 1,400 Greeks lose their lives in road crashes and the country shares with Romania the highest road fatality rate in the EU. Last year a total of 89 people were killed in Crete, which has Greece’s highest number of road deaths.
Motorcycle riders account for about 30% of road fatalities in Greece. For many Greeks, especially young people, motorcycles remain an attractive and affordable form of transport. Currently helmet usage rates remain relatively low despite legislation that requires use for both riders and passengers. Rates of 75% and 46% across the country were reported in 2009. According to a survey carried out for the campaign in the major Cretan cities of Chania and Heraklio one of every two motorcyclists do not use a helmet at all or do not fasten it correctly.
In March this year the campaign was inaugurated by HRH Prince Michael of Kent and he strongly endorsed its key message explaining that “We need to persuade all motorcyclists, but especially young men and young women, often riding as passengers, that wearing a helmet is a real life saver”.
For more information about the conference visit: www.makeroadssafehellas.com