ISSN: 2278 – 7798 International Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology Research (IJSETR) Volume 2, Issue 3, March 2013 633 All Rights Reserved © 2013 IJSETR Helmet usage among motorcycle riders in Ghana Richard Fiifi Turkson * , Maxwell S. Akple, Robert Biscoff, Seth T.K.Dzokoto, Wise Klomegah, * Ho Polytechnic, Mechanical Engineering Dept, P.O. Box HP 217, Volta Region, Ghana. Abstract The wearing of helmets is one way of preventing head injury and the practice is low in developing countries. This paper presents helmet use among Ghanaian motorcycle riders. Data was collected through observation of 21,108 motorcycle riders and questionnaires were administered to 1,182 motorcycle riders selected randomly. The results indicated that most of the motorcycle riders were carrying passengers and both of them were not wearing helmets. Youths (16-35 years) were the majority of the riders and were aware helmet offers protection against head injury but normally wear it to get by with the police and in some cases, to avoid being fined on the spot. The use of motorcycle taxis is also found to be creeping into the country and need strong legislation. In all, the use of helmets among Ghanaian motorcycle riders was very low and requires education to eradicate some form of perceptions (barriers) which are preventing its use, as well as strengthening its enforcement on regular basis. Keywords: Accident, Ghana, Helmet, Motorcycle 1. Introduction Motorcycles are one of the main means of transportation worldwide and may be used for sports such as racing. The use of it in recent times has been associated with numerous road accidents. Studies show that in developing countries motorcycle injuries continue to be a considerable public health challenge [7], [17]. For instance the