{"id":52218,"date":"2024-12-12T00:13:03","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T00:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/first-african-helmet-testing-laboratory-inaugurated-in-rwanda\/"},"modified":"2024-12-13T09:42:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T09:42:25","slug":"first-african-helmet-testing-laboratory-inaugurated-in-rwanda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/first-african-helmet-testing-laboratory-inaugurated-in-rwanda\/","title":{"rendered":"First African helmet testing laboratory inaugurated in Rwanda"},"content":{"rendered":"

The facility, poised to help ensure helmets used by motorbike and moped riders meet national safety standards, has been established with support from the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale de l\u2019Automobile (FIA).<\/p>\n

Located at the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), the laboratory enables conformity assessment of helmets based on the RS 576: 2024 Protective helmets for motorcycle and moped users \u2013 Specification, reinforcing the country\u2019s commitment to road safety.<\/p>\n

The launch, attended by over 200 participants was officiated by the Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Jimmy Gasore, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and FIA Foundation Chairman David Richards.<\/p>\n

It featured a guided tour of RSB\u2019s testing laboratory, live demonstrations on proper helmet usage, and insightful discussions on the critical role of safety standards in the transport sector.<\/p>\n

At the official launch, Minister Gasore said this laboratory will strengthen the country\u2019s commitment to road safety by ensuring helmets meet quality standards.<\/p>\n

\"At<\/figure>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a critical step in protecting lives and reducing road accidents. By collaborating with the FIA and the FIA Foundation, we are not only enhancing safety measures but also reinforcing Rwanda\u2019s position as a leader in promoting sustainable and responsible mobility,” he said.<\/p>\n

FIA Foundation Chairman, David Richards CBE noted that the launch of Africa’s first-ever helmet testing facility marks a significant milestone in the continent’s efforts to combat the rising number of motorcycle crash deaths and injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe FIA Foundation is proud to have supported the Tuwurinde Project in collaboration with local NGOs, government partners, and international development agencies,\u201d he said<\/p>\n

He appreciated Rwanda\u2019s efforts in introducing helmet standards and the new regulation to assess the quality of new helmets demonstrates a bigger commitment of adopting best practices in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis initiative is an important blueprint for other countries across the region, and the world, who are looking for ways to adapt and manage their rising motorcycle fleet,” he emphasized.<\/p>\n

\"Some<\/figure>\n

As part of the activities embroiled in the 2024 FIA Annual General Assembly underway in Kigali, the Rwanda Automobile Club announced plans to donate 5,000 certified helmets across Rwanda alongside an education program for over 10,000 riders.<\/p>\n

In the same regard, FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed that safety is at the heart of the FIA stands and expressed delight to witness the work taking place here in Rwanda.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Federation, we are at the forefront of safety innovation and it is important that we continue working closely with our global communities to improve road safety outcomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

On his part, Rwanda National Police Spokesperson, ACP Boniface Rutikanga, expressed optimism on the development.<\/p>\n

“Road safety remains a priority, and initiatives like ‘Safe Helmet’ play a vital role in protecting lives. We are committed to working alongside RSB and FIA Foundation to ensure all taxi-moto riders in Rwanda have access to certified helmets, contributing to safer roads for everyone.”<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n

On behalf of the Association of Taxi-Motos, Emmanuel Munyurangabo, pledged commitment as people at the front lines of road transport.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to quality helmets not only ensures their safety but also enhances public confidence in using moto-taxis. We fully endorse this initiative and will advocate for its widespread adoption,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The helmet testing facility launch and donation from the FIA follows the introduction of Rwanda\u2019s first motorcycle helmet standard regulation which was published in 2024. Head trauma is the leading cause of death for motorcycle riders, who make up a third of Rwanda\u2019s road deaths.<\/p>\n

Safe, quality helmets reduce the risk of death by over six times and brain injury by up to 74%, according to the World Health Organization. Other Tuwurinde project include UNRSF, UNECA and UNECE.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"FIA<\/figure>\n
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\"The<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On December 11, 2024, Rwanda officially launched an international helmet testing laboratory under the \u2018Tuwurinde\u2019 Project, a partnership between the Government of Rwanda, the FIA Foundation, Healthy People Rwanda, and the UN Road Safety Fund (UNRSF).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000078630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000078630,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-137.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000078630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52218"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52218"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}