Police to go after motorcyclists, pillion riders without helmets

…both persons will be charged – Traffic Chief

Contrary to popular belief in Guyana that a pillion rider on a motorcycle cannot be charged for failing to wear a safety helmet once the rider has one on, both persons on the vehicle can face charges.

This is according to Deputy Police Commissioner and Traffic Chief, Linden Isles, who during an interview with Guyana Times on Monday explained that many folks seem to believe that no one will be charged for an offence as long as the rider of a motorcycle wears his/her helmet.
“The rider can also be charged if he is carrying a person without helmet and also the rider and the pillion could be charged. If there is an accident, the rider will face charges that is dependent on the occurrence too. For instance, if the rider would have ridden in a dangerous manner causing the pillion’s or a pedestrian’s death, he can be charged for causing death in addition to other charges,” the Traffic Chief said.
He noted that the law clearly states that once the motorcycle is over a certain number of Cubic Centimetre (CC) capacity of combustion cylinder, then you have to wear a safety helmet.
“If you are riding or if you are a pillion you still have to wear a safety helmet. But because of certain difficulties in getting to prosecute these persons, because you know when you are riding on the road, by the time they [motorcyclists] are riding with a person without helmet, they just zoom past. We have been engaging in some exercises whereby we have roadblocks so as to block off the road so that they cannot do so easily, we have been doing it on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and we will start it country-wide,” the Traffic Chief declared.
According to Isles, it is an everyday occurrence where folks can be seen riding or being transported on motorcycles without protective helmets.
“It is something that has been occurring. And we have been charging persons. The law is there and we have to enforce the law.”
He added that while traversers on the roadways may complain about these roadblocks, they are necessary, so as to uphold the law against persons riding on the roadway without safety helmets as required by the law and against violators of other traffic infractions.
Just last week, 27-year-old fireman Osafo Bess was charged with causing the death of his reputed wife, Abidacy Klass, who was killed during a motorcycle accident at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Potaro Road, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni)
Bess had appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
The court heard that on May 20, 2019, at 111 Miles Mahdia, Bess rode motorcycle CH 3715 in a dangerous manner in the public, which resulted in the death of Klass, the mother of two.
It was reported that Klass was the pillion rider on the motorcycle when Bess lost control and crashed.
The now dead woman was thrown off of the motorcycle and allegedly picked up by public-spirited citizens who rushed the duo to the Mahdia Public Hospital. Klass was pronounced dead on arrival while Bess suffered minor injuries.
At the time of the accident, neither parties were wearing helmets.
The Chief Magistrate released Bess on $150,000 bail and suspended his driver’s licence. This matter was transferred to the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court for July 16, 2019.