Tenkodogo: Helmet in hand, on the handlebars, or hastily placed at the sight of a police officer: this scene is still common at Tenkodogo's intersections. To put an end to this, the National Police launched "Operation Head Shield" on Friday, a large-scale awareness and enforcement campaign regarding the mandatory wearing of helmets. Those not wearing helmets will be turned back.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the operation is led by the central police station of Tenkodogo, with support from the Regional Road Traffic Service of Nakamb© (SRCR-Nakamb©), under the direction of the central commissioner Moussa Ou©draogo. Teams were mobilized from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the main strategic intersections of the city to enforce this regulation.
The police were positioned in particular at the traffic light of the central police station, at the one of the mosque in sector n°6, at the crossroads known as "Cheikh-Point" on the Tenkodogo-Bittou and Tenkodogo-Garango axes, as well as at the Espace Cours en Direct, at the hospital pharmacy, and at the Transport service.
According to Commissioner Ou©draogo, the objective is twofold: to enforce the government measure and, above all, to preserve lives. The figures are worrying, with the Nakamb© region recording 95 traffic accidents in July 2026 alone, resulting in 10 deaths, and Tenkodogo accounting for 25 accidents during the same period.
The police official largely attributes this situation to the failure to wear helmets, citing statistics from the National Police that reveal 90% of fatal motorcycle accidents are linked to the refusal to wear a helmet.
On the ground, attitudes remained mixed. While some road users, both drivers and passengers, wore helmets properly, others simply carried their helmets in their hands or only put them on briefly to pass through the checkpoint before removing them a few meters further on. This behavior was observed among all categories of road users, including traditional leaders wearing their traditional headdresses.
Commissioner Ou©draogo believes that awareness campaigns have their limits and warns that this educational phase will not be permanent. In the coming days, checks will be stepped up, and users in violation will be subject to fines.
While the operation remains occasional for some services, it takes on a permanent character for the SRCR-Nakamb©. "At least once a week, similar actions will be carried out in the city of Tenkodogo," the commissioner assured.
The local police chief has called on families to get more involved by ensuring their children wear helmets when riding motorcycles. He pointed out that Tenkodogo, a crossroads town located on national roads 16 and 17, linking Burkina Faso to neighboring countries and the Lom© port corridor, experiences intense traffic, increasing the risk factor for accidents.
For the police, the message is clear: wearing a helmet must become a permanent reflex, not a gesture adopted only in the presence of law enforcement. Wearing a helmet means protecting your life and the lives of others.