TEHRAN – The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in Iran, has organized a high-level consultation workshop on motorcycle safety and helmet standards, under the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) 2024 workplan in Tehran.

The workshop was held on November 19 at the Iranian National Museum of Medical Sciences History.

The event convened representatives from government authorities, technical institutions, and civil society to drive a unified approach to reducing motorcycle-related deaths and injuries, the WHO website announced in a press release on December 24.

Although certified helmets are available in the Islamic Republic of Iran, affordability constraints, counterfeit products, and the scarcity of child-appropriate helmets undermine safe and consistent helmet use. Congested urban environments, limited training, and inconsistent compliance with traffic rules compound the problems, and fragmented data across police, health, and transport systems further limit effective enforcement and strategic decision-making.

Motorcyclists constitute a significant proportion of the fatalities, estimated to be around 40 percent on urban roads and approximately 20  percent on inter-city roads. Surveys show that in the first six months of the year 2025, approximately 48 percent of traffic accident victims in Tehran city were motorcyclists.

The workshop allowed stakeholders to review existing gaps, compare national practices with international best practices and evidence, and explore options for strengthening helmet standards, upgrading enforcement mechanisms, and aligning regulations with internationally recognized frameworks such as UN Regulation No. 22.

Through interactive discussions, participants mapped behavioural, economic, regulatory, and institutional challenges. Discussions highlighted the need for coordinated multisectoral action bringing together the NRSC, Traffic Police, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI), municipal authorities, academia, civil society, and private-sector partners to advance motorcycle safety at scale.

The consultation concluded with a set of actionable next steps, including strengthening helmet legislation, upgrading national standards, enhancing data systems, expanding public awareness initiatives, and reinforcing market surveillance and enforcement capacity, which together will enhance road safety and protect millions of motorcycle users across Iran.

In the first eight months of the current Iranian year (started on March 21), the death toll among motorcyclists in Tehran has increased by 50 percent, compared to the same period last year, ISNA reported.

According to the latest statistics, 46 percent of motorcycle rider fatalities were in the 18-to-35 age group, the majority of whom were not wearing a safety helmet.

MT/MG