Death Of A Pillion Rider

Anne Asamoah, a lady in her late 20s, met her untimely death last Wednesday, not on a hospital bed after a long spell with a disease, but as a pillion rider. An employee with the international forwarding conglomerate, DHL, she asked for a ride on a motorbike at the end of the day�s work last Wednesday. Upon reaching a spot around the Airport Shell filling station, an accident struck. A vehicle had allegedly crossed their path and the motorcyclist lost control. She was without a helmet but the rider had one. He survived the accident even as he lost consciousness and is currently on admission in hospital. She did not survive the accident, dying instantly when her head hit the ground. Although a sad incident, it is an epic example of what happens when people ride motorbikes without helmets. The MTTU of the Ghana Police Service has, for time without number, mounted operations to ensure the enforcement of the laws pertaining to the use of motorbikes, the most prominent being the use of crash helmets. In fact, there was even a campaign on television to educate people on the importance of helmets. A watermelon was thrown to the ground and it disintegrated; an act which was likened to what happens to the human head when a rider refuses to use the helmet. The important macabre analogy did not move most riders as they continued to ride without helmets. While we do not doubt predestination, it is our belief though that had Anne Asamoah put on a helmet, she would not have died. She would have lived to play her part in life. We are hard at respecting laws, preferring to breach such statutes even when these are there to protect our lives. When law breakers are arrested, the defaulters quickly call people in authority to intercede on their behalf. Protective of their jobs, policemen who make such arrests quickly release the defaulters. Had the motorcyclist who offered a ride to the deceased been stopped by a policeman, both rider and pillion rider would have grumbled and regarded the cop as a nuisance. There is a lot of work to be undertaken by our overstretched cops, especially on the roads. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them in their bid to ensure discipline on the roads. Let the death of Anne Asamoah encourage us all to work towards ensuring that all motorcyclists use helmets. There is an unprecedented number of motorcycles on the roads today and with many of the riders not adhering to laid-out regulations regarding the use of these machines, the police would have to change a new page in the application of the relevant statutes. While many motorcycles are not registered, others are used without helmets. It appears the police are tired and have therefore stopped or relaxed the apprehension of defaulting motorcyclists. We urge the police and other relevant authorities to show empathy to Anne Asamoah by embarking on a massive and sustained operation to ensure discipline in the use of motorbikes. We have taken note of the now prevalent use of seatbelts by motorists across the country, especially in Accra. This is attributable to the consistent arrest of defaulting motorists. It is our position that if such consistency is extended to motorcyclists, the accident which claimed the life of Anne Asamoah would be obviated. We are sad and pray that the authorities move into action so that such avoidable deaths can be stopped. Let those holding influential positions stop interfering in the work of the police so that such painful deaths can be obviated.