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Gender disparities in observed motorcycle helmet use in Madagascar: female motorcyclists behave safer but have lower overall protection
  1. Felix Wilhelm Siebert1,
  2. Francois Brambati2,
  3. Ana Luísa Silva3,4,
  4. Jessé Randrianarisoa4,
  5. Paolo Perego5
  1. 1 Department of Technology, Management, and Economics, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
  2. 2 Deep Blue consulting and research, Roma, Lazio, Italy
  3. 3 Centre for African and Development Studies (CEsA), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
  4. 4 ONG Lalana, Antananarivo, Madagascar
  5. 5 Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano, Italy
  1. Correspondence to Dr Felix Wilhelm Siebert; felix{at}dtu.dk

Abstract

Background Although motorcycle helmets can save lives in case of a crash, no helmet use data are available for many countries. When data is available, it is often only analysed as a global average, preventing targeted road safety education and legislative action. In this study, we conducted a detailed analysis of motorcycle helmet use in the capital of Madagascar.

Methods Using a cross-sectional observational field survey framework, we observed 17 230 individual motorcycles. We systematically recorded motorcycle riders’ helmet use, position on the motorcycle, rider numbers and gender.

Results We found a general helmet use of 76.1%. Observed drivers had a significantly higher helmet use (84.6%) than passengers (47.7%), and subsequently helmet use per motorcycle decreased significantly when the number of riders per motorcycle increased. Female drivers had significantly higher helmet use than male drivers, and female passengers had significantly higher helmet use than male passengers. That is, on the same position of the motorcycle, female riders behaved safer than male riders. However, since female riders were more often passengers than drivers, their average helmet use was lower than that of male riders overall. Contrary to findings from other countries, motorcycle helmet use did not differ significantly throughout the day but was relatively constant.

Conclusion Our results show the potential for injury and fatality prevention in Madagascar through increased passenger helmet use. This increase would also proportionally benefit female riders more than male riders. Findings regarding road safety legislation’s applied impact, education, enforcement and future research needs are discussed.

  • Motorcycle
  • Low-Middle Income Country
  • Helmet
  • Passive Safety
  • Gender

Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

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Data availability statement

Data are available upon reasonable request.

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Footnotes

  • X @_analuisasilva_

  • Correction notice FWS: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft. FB: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft. ALS: Conceptualization, Investigation, Data Curation, Writing - Review & Editing. JR: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Data Curation, Writing - Review & Editing. PP: Conceptualization, Methodology, Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft. All authors have approved the manuscript and FWS takes full responsibility for the conduct of the study as the guarantor.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.