The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has advised women, who use motorbikes as their major means of transportation, to do hairstyles that can accommodate crash helmets to ensure their safety on the road.
Mr Safianu Abdul-Rahaman, the Northern Regional Planning Manager, NRSA, who gave the advice, said: “Once you know your major means of transportation is the motorbike, it means you need to love yourself, love your life and then do a hairstyle that can accommodate the crash helmet.”
He gave the advice when addressing motor dealers and some members of the public in Tamale after embarking on a road float through the principal streets of the Tamale Metropolis.
The road float was organised by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, in collaboration with the Northern Motor Dealers Association, to sensitise the public on the need to use crash helmets and registered motorbikes.
Statistics from the NRSA showed that 51 people lost their lives through road crashes in the Northern Region from January to September, this year, and 68 per cent of the figure was as a result of motorbike crashes.
Mr Abdul-Rahaman said mostly women failed to wear crash helmets because some of their hairstyles were such that the helmets could not fit well on their heads.
Some of those who wore them too sometimes failed to strap the button under their chins because of their hairstyles.
“In in this situation, the crash helmet always flew away during crashes leaving them to sustain serious head injuries,” he said.
He warned that failure to wear crash helmets increased the likelihood of getting head injury and dying from it and urged them to prioritise it when riding motorbikes.
Chief Inspector Mary Sebastian, Station Officer at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Tamale Metropolis, who represented the Metropolitan Commander of the MTTD, said the law made it compulsory to wear crash helmet so all motor riders must obey it.
She said the police would enforce the law without fear or favour to save lives and property.
Alhaji Abdul-Razak Saana, the Chairman of the Northern Motor Dealers Association, said motorbike dealers had prioritised the safety of their customers and so had registered their motorbikes and ensures they use crash helmets to provide safety.
Source: GNA
