Motorcyclists in Nigeria have discovered the government is serious about enforcing a new helmet law and they're trying all sorts of inventive ways to avoid being busted.
The law was passed six months ago but apparently most folks didn't believe it would be taken seriously. They learned differently when police started impounding bikes. Now the scramble is on for helmets.
One problem, though: Supplies quickly ran out, and the police are not inclined to be forgiving.
What makes this really difficult for many people is that the average motorcyclist in Nigeria is not anything close to the average U.S. biker. Most Nigerian motorcyclists are in fact drivers of motorcycle taxis, or "okadas," making their living from their cycles. If you get busted for not wearing a helmet the police take your bike until you get a helmet. Plus, your passenger must wear a helmet, too.
Enter the fruit
With helmets unavailable, the okada drivers have turned to anything that they hope will pass for a helmet. This includes cooking pots, plastic pails, patches of old tire tied to their heads, and even the tough rinds of gourds and gourd-like vegetables.
The other problem the drivers are facing is that their passengers don't want to wear helmets because they are afraid of picking up lice or other parasites from previous passengers. Some passengers also reportedly are fearful that the helmets come with magic spells that will render them unconscious and easy to rob. The police response to this is simple: riders should get their own helmets and use them.
Reuters quoted Yusuf Garba, commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission in the northern town of Kano, as saying, "They use pots, plates, calabashes, rubber and plastic as makeshift helmets. We will not tolerate this. We gave them enough time to purchase helmets. Six months ago the price of helmets was below 800 naira so complaints about non-availability and high prices are no excuse."
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