After the death of boys

Greeks: No fuel for motorcyclists without helmets

(Bild: picturedesk.com/STRINGER / AFP / picturedesk.com)

At the end of November, a 17-year-old died in a motorcycle accident on the Greek island of Crete. The boy was not wearing a helmet. A petrol station owner from the surrounding community then announced that he would no longer sell fuel to motorcyclists who were not wearing a helmet.

The idea went through the media - now the Ministry of Health has launched the "No helmet, no fuel" initiative together with the petrol station association.

One in five people on the road without a helmet
In Greece, the proportion of motorcyclists on the roads is 23 percent, which is second in the EU behind Italy (26 percent). According to the Greek Transport Association, one in five motorcyclists is on the road without a helmet. The proportion of motorcyclists among road fatalities is 38 percent, compared to an EU average of 18 percent. More than two thirds of motorcyclists involved in fatal accidents were not wearing a helmet.

Young people are particularly at risk
There are many reasons for leaving the helmet at home: old habits, summer heat and, above all, a lack of controls. "Hundreds of people are killed every year," said Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis in a TV advertisement calling on people to wear helmets. Most of the fatalities are young people; according to the transport association, the risk for drivers aged 18 to 24 is ten times higher than for people of the same age who drive.

It remains to be seen whether petrol station operators will take part in the "No helmet, no fuel" campaign. They are not obliged to. But even if just a few take the idea to heart and implement it, many a road death could be avoided, according to the Greek media.