Helmets

When I arrived in Jalingo, I did not see a single person on a motorcycle wearing a helmet. When I traveled to Jos, I saw a couple. When I traveled to Abuja, I saw a few. Then, on New Year’s Eve, I saw a commercial on TV, while watching the news, saying that as of January 1, 2009 all motorcyclists must wear a helmet or they would be fined. I was skeptical that anything would change. However on January 1, I was SHOCKED! In Abuja, about 60% of them were wearing helmets and in Jos about 50% of the hundreds, possibly thousands, of motorcyclists were wearing them. Now, these helmets are not all your standard-issued safety-approved helmets, but it’s a start. Some were legitimate helmets, others were construction-style hard hats, but my favorite ones had been created from calabassa. That’s right, a helmet made from the thin outer covering of a gourd! Hilarious! Upon returning to Jalingo, I may have seen one helmet in the last week I’ve been home. Jalingo is definitely a little behind when it comes to implementing new policies, so maybe it will catch on by the end of the year! :)