Officials warn against bright headlights, urge helmet use after fatal electric bike crashes

Traffic officials are once again warning motorists against the use of improperly fitted and excessively bright headlights, while renewing calls for motorcyclists and electric bike riders to wear safety helmets, following a recent fatal accident on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). The issue was raised during a road safety programme, where members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the National Road Safety Council addressed several factors contributing to road accidents and fatalities. National Road Safety Council President Earl Lambert and President of the United Minibus Union, Eon Andrews, said attention must be paid to vehicles that are being retrofitted with brighter lights, particularly at night. “We spoke about these lights that they’re retrofitting the vehicles with. The vehicles come with one thing and then these people take out that and they put on, and it’s because some people say because of the tint, the windscreen”, Lambert said. Andrews indicated that the issue is being examined and could soon be addressed through enforcement and policy measures. “I think we are going to be addressing it from April.” The discussion turned to a fatal accident involving an electric bike rider in the vicinity of Ann’s Groove on the East Coast, which Andrews said occurred under dark road conditions. “Last Saturday night, a young man… lost his life on the public road in the vicinity of Ann’s Groove. He was riding an electric bike and was not wearing a helmet, based on what I saw.” According to Andrews, a video of the incident suggested that the rider was travelling in the middle of the roadway moments before the collision. He explained that the rider later collided with an oncoming vehicle after attempting to cross the roadway. “This young man was riding in the middle of the road in and out of traffic”, he said. “The one with the electric cycle turned behind him into the path of the vehicle coming from the east, and he was struck down.” In that light, Andrews stressed that the absence of a helmet may have contributed to the fatal outcome. “If you’re not wearing a helmet, the first thing that happens when you fall from those bikes on the road is that you hit your head.” He added: “Had he been wearing a helmet, the situation might have been different.”

Sergeant Anjan Bhangradian, who is in charge of traffic at the Kitty Police Station in Georgetown, said motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users.
“The most vulnerable part of the body, especially when you’re using the road, and you’re riding, is your head.” He warned that failure to wear a helmet can have fatal consequences. “If you don’t protect your head, then it’s very likely that you will sustain serious injuries, be hospitalised, or even die.” Bhangradian also reminded motorists that road safety is a shared responsibility. He urged road users to obey traffic laws at all times, not only in the presence of police ranks. “Road safety is everyone’s business. It is not just the police business. You must not just do the right thing only when the police are there to see you.” Officials urged the public to encourage family members and friends who ride motorcycles or electric bikes to wear helmets and to operate vehicles responsibly, particularly at night.