A popular mode of transportation in Nigeria is motorcycle taxi. There are thousands of them driving around the big cities of Nigeria. The drivers drive carelessly, and sometimes there can be four to five people loaded up on just one motorcycle. It's understandable because they don't have a lot of money for better transportation, but it's also very dangerous.
As a way to decrease injuries and deaths, the Nigerian government made a new law this year that required all motorcycle taxi drivers to wear a helmet. Helmets cost money, which the drivers don't have. So, instead of helmets, they got creative and used these:
It's a calabash, which is basically like a dried out pumpkin by the time they use it as a helmet.
Unfortunately, their ingenuity isn't protecting them from being fined. Police do not accept calabash as helmets.
It will be interesting to see how well the government is able to enforce this law. The drivers don't have the money to buy helmets or pay fines if they are caught. I wonder if the law is a disguised way for the government to try to cut down on the total number of motorcycle taxis.
Full story from the BBC here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7813418.stm
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