Kenya among countries where motorcycle helmets fail safety tests, new report finds

Motorcycle riders in Kenya and several other countries are relying on helmets that provide almost no protection in crashes, a new international safety study has found.

An analysis by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety shows that none of the helmets tested from 10 countries, including Kenya, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greece, India, Mexico, Nigeria and Vietnam, passed the three core safety tests required for international certification.

The findings are alarming for Kenya, where over 2.4 million boda bodas operate and helmet use remains inconsistent. A National Helmet Wearing Coalition survey found that 63 per cent of riders wear helmets, compared to only 15 per cent of passengers. Yet, National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) data shows 431 people died in motorcycle crashes between January and March this year, about five deaths every day.

According to the Alliance’s April 2025 report, eleven helmets were purchased from shops or collected from riders across the 10 countries and sent to an accredited laboratory for testing with funding from the FIA Foundation and expertise from Galeatus LLC. They were tested for stability (rolloff), retention system strength and impact attenuation. Not one passed all three checks, and only one cleared a single test.

“These helmet tests show the reality of what people rely on every day, on their way to school, work or markets. It is unacceptable that people doing the right thing by wearing a helmet are not being protected,” Lotte Brondum, Executive Director of the Alliance, said.

In Kenya, the helmet tested, bought for about US$7 (Sh903.98) from a general store, failed the impact attenuation test and was not subjected to stability or retention checks because it lacked a proper retention system. Kenya records one of the highest proportions of motorcycle-related fatalities in Africa, at 37.6 per cent.

Other countries fared no better. In Benin, a helmet bought for US$20 (Sh2,582.80) from a general store failed all three tests and had no national safety standard in place. Côte d’Ivoire’s helmet, purchased for US$14 (Sh1,807.96) from a motorcycle store, failed the stability and impact attenuation tests, and its buckle broke during testing.

Ghana’s helmet, priced at US$19 (Sh2,453.66), also failed the stability and impact tests, with the buckle breaking before retention testing could be completed. Ethiopia’s US$12 (Sh1,549.68) helmet lacked a retention system altogether and failed the impact test, while India’s US$2 (Sh258.28) helmet from a street stall suffered the same shortcomings.

Even in Greece, where a US$29 (Sh3,745.06) helmet was purchased from a general store, the product only passed the stability test but failed on impact attenuation, with its retention system too damaged for further assessment.

The Global Alliance said helmets undergo three key assessments designed to simulate common accident scenarios. The first, a helmet stability or rolloff test, attaches a hook and strap to the back of a helmet fitted on a test headform before dropping a 10kg weight from 50cm. The aim is to ensure the helmet remains on the rider’s head during sudden forward movement and impact. Helmets that slip off or rotate more than 30 degrees are deemed unsafe.

The second, a retention system strength test, evaluates the durability of straps and buckles. A 10kg weight is dropped from 75cm onto the helmet’s buckle and strap while fitted on a test headform. To pass, the strap’s stretch must not exceed 35mm, and the recovery stretch must stay below 25mm. Failure indicates a high risk of the helmet detaching during a crash.

Finally, helmets undergo an impact attenuation test, in which they are dropped from a speed of 7.5 meters per second onto a flat metal surface. Sensors in the headform measure the force transmitted to the skull and brain. Helmets must keep peak acceleration under 275g and the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) below 2,400 to pass. Those that fail are unable to sufficiently absorb energy, leaving riders vulnerable to potentially fatal head injuries.

The Global Alliance emphasised that these tests are critical to ensuring that riders are adequately protected, highlighting that a helmet’s performance under extreme conditions can be the difference between life and death.

Experts warn that while quality helmets can reduce the risk of head injuries by 70 per cent and fatalities by more than 40 per cent, substandard ones instead give riders a false sense of safety.

“Substandard helmets pose a serious risk by giving riders a false sense of safety. Continued testing and advocacy can help curb this trend. But as motorcycle numbers grow, replacing counterfeits with certified helmets is an urgent priority,” Agnieszka Krasnolucka, Programmes Director at the FIA Foundation, said.

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The helmets were displayed during the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco, before undergoing laboratory testing. Experts highlighted how genuine helmets are made with a hard outer shell, an energy-absorbing liner and a reliable retention system, while knockoffs use decorative padding or weak straps that break easily.

In July, Nairobi hosted the second Safe African Helmets Initiative Summit, where nine African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Senegal, Benin and Cameroon, discussed the crisis of preventable motorcycle deaths linked to unsafe or absent helmets.

The Alliance’s white paper, Making Safe Helmets a Reality for All, released in Marrakech, has urged governments and manufacturers to tighten regulations, remove unsafe products from the market and make certified helmets affordable and accessible. It also recommends subsidies, linking helmet provision to motorcycle sales, stricter customs checks and awareness campaigns to help riders distinguish safe helmets from counterfeits.

Private sector players, including delivery companies and motorcycle businesses, have also been urged to take the lead by equipping their riders with certified helmets.