CAMBODIA and Helmets: responsible business fund safety

Frrom: WWF Cambodia's Newsletter.

On your bike! But not without your helmet WWF Cambodia employees have been provided
with motor cycle helmets which they are required to wear when riding to and from work and
whenever carrying out WWF work related activities.
According to a recent article in the Asia Life magazine, wearing a helmet reduces your chance of
death in an accident by 40%. When it comes to serious injury a non-helmeted motorbike rider is three times more likely to suffer than one wearing a helmet. These statistics apply to low speed accidents, between 30-40kph – or about the speed of the average motorcycle around Phnom Penh.
Not negotiable: WWF Cambodia is taking the issue of rider safety seriously. Project managers have already warned that any WWF staff seen riding a motorbike without a helmet may be stood down. Finance and administration manager Soeun Seng said the issue is really
non-negotiable with staff. “We have bought helmets for staff who ride motorbikes because we want to try and avoid serious injury. However we have also been advised that staff may not be adequately covered by our insurance policy if they are not wearing helmets,” he said.
“We can’t let that happen. The result would be financially crippling for the victims and their family, not to mention the pain and suffering.”
So the answer is simple – get on your bike, but not without your helmet.