Having good quality helmets will save riders from worse injury.

HA NOI (Biz Hub) —The Vietnam Helmet Manufacturers Association (VHMA) began operations today in order to improve helmet wearing compliance, standards, and quality nationwide.

The association, founded by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP Foundation), has initial members including the Long Huei Vietnam Co., Ltd, HJC Helmets, Protec Vietnam, and the MAT Group.

The traffic police, the National Traffic Security Committee and the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) will also be invited to participate as advisors to the organisation, said AIP Foundation President Greig Craft.

STAMEQ, which is responsible for helmet quality control in Viet Nam, has only listed 78 helmet manufacturers on their website. However, STAMEQ's staff could never know the exact number of all helmet producers in the local markets.

Wearing a helmet during a crash was shown to reduce the risk of serious injury by 69 percent and deaths by 42 percent. Vietnamese motor-riders were required to wear a helmet since 2007. However, a recent study by the World Health Organisation found that more than 80 percent of the helmets worn by riders on Vietnam's roads are below standards. In Viet Nam, where 22,000 lives are lost each year to traffic accidents, improving helmet quality can save countless lives. — VNS