Heads bare, phones in hand: Risky riding behaviours among motorcyclists at signalised intersections in Wa, Ghana

The rising popularity of motorcycles for daily mobility, especially in secondary cities of developing nations, raises safety concerns despite limited research on motorcyclists’ risk-taking behaviors. This study investigates the incidence of helmet wearing and mobile phone use among motorcyclists in Wa, Ghana, and identifies the predictors of these behaviors.

A week-long, non-intrusive roadside observational survey was carried out in December 2024 at all three signalized intersections in the Wa township. At each observation site, trained observers manually recorded whether motorcyclists wore helmets and used mobile phones. Motorcyclists were classified as using a mobile phone if observed talking on a phone or texting while riding, whether handheld or hands-free. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were used to analyze the association between helmet use, phone use, and various temporal, behavioral, and contextual factors.

12,401 motorcycle riders and 4530 pillion passengers were observed. The percentage of riders using mobile phones was 9.4%. (95% CI, 8.9%–9.9%), While helmet use was 21.8% (95% CI, 21.1%–22.5%) among riders and 4.0% (95% CI, 3.4%–4.6%) among passengers. Of the 21.8% of riders wearing helmets, only 10.5% (95% CI, 10.0%–11.1%) wore them correctly. Riders who used mobile phones were less likely to wear helmets than those who did not. Factors such as riders’ sex, passenger presence, and day of the week significantly predicted mobile phone and helmet use. Police presence did not have a significant effect on phone use among riders in Wa.

The study shows a decline in helmet use over the past decade and rising concerns about mobile phone use. This suggests that legislation alone does not guarantee high compliance unless it is accompanied by active and consistent enforcement. The findings highlight the complexity of road user behavior in urban Ghana and emphasize the need for coordinated safety interventions that enhance enforcement credibility, using locally tailored policies for education and safety campaigns aimed at transforming societal norms, attitudes, and habits, and developing interventions grounded in behavioral patterns across various times and locations.