It is compulsory in most countries round the world to wear a protective head gear when riding a motorbike, and when/if a motorcyclist does not adhere to this law, it is regarded as a serious traffic offence that attracts a huge fine and sanctions. It should therefore not to be seen as a new and alien development.

By enacting the helmet law, the authorities help reduce the risk of brain injury by 85%, therefore the cost of acquiring this life saving protection is pennies compared with the injuries, and in some cases, fatalities, that a rider costs him/herself by not wearing one.

In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany’s greatest man of letters: “Things which matters most must never be at the mercy of things which matters least”

These helmets have other benefits that also contribute to saving lives. For example, an approved standard white or bright colour motorcycle helmet is a solid tool for making riders visible to other road users. This together with some reflective clothing enhances the visibility of a cyclist to other commuters.

Helmets also help to reduce ambient wind noise which consequently brings about fatigue and distracts a rider from concentrating.

Traffic police officers still have a lot of work to do in strengthening public consensus and embarking on more practical ways of enforcing this crash helmet law.

They should not relent in their efforts in enforcing this important safety law, and continue with more campaigns in all tertiary institutions as education is an important element to achieve this goal.

Effort should be put into creating more effective awareness through print and mass media, meeting with motorcycles associations, and even going as far as influencing other Africa countries that do not have these laws in place already.

Finally, the traffic authority should liase with the community leaders in order to make this crash helmet law a reality.