KINGSTON, Jamaica – A high-level regional forum bringing together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the urgent issue of motorcycle helmet safety will be held at the AC Hotel in Kingston. It will take place on June 19 and 20.
The event will feature five panel discussions and three keynote addresses. This will provide a platform for dynamic dialogue, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy-orientated solutions.
Motorcycle Helmet Safety Legistration
Organised by the JN Foundation through the National Helmet Wearing Coalition in collaboration with the FIA Foundation and FIA motor clubs in the Caribbean and the National Road Safety Council, the forum aims to address critical legislative and enforcement gaps. It will promote behaviour change and mitigate the social and economic impact of motorcycle-related fatalities across the region.
Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, said the event is a critical step towards regional collaboration. This collaboration aims to develop, strengthen and enact policies that save lives.
Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation
‘In Jamaica, motorcyclists accounted for about 30% of road fatalities in 2024. The statistics are common to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, where there is similar experience in managing issues related to helmet wearing, certification and standardisation. We believe that dialogue will be helpful to arriving at a position of collaboration to address these issues,” she asserted.
The event will have speakers from nearby countries. It will look at gaps in laws and rules. These gaps lead to a culture that does not value wearing helmets. The event will also discuss problems with enforcement and policing. Finally, it will focus on changing behavior through advocacy and storytelling.
Other topics include social and economic impact. These will highlight the costs of preventable motorcycle crashes to families, health systems, and national development.
Regional and International Experts on Helmet Safety
Ms Allen added that the forum will bring together regional and international experts in road safety and enforcement, psychology and behaviour change, policy development, academia and public health. International organisations, including the FIA Foundation, will also join.
Some of the presenters include Shivanie Mahadeo of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards; Dr Terry Smith, principal scientist at Galateus; Dave Cliff, chief executive officer of Global Road Safety Partnership in Mexico; Sam Clarke, head of programmes at TRANSAID; and Frank Fotia, president of FIA Region 111, based in Canada.
Meanwhile, local presenters who will address the conference are Dr Gary McKenzie, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jamaica Constabulary Force; Dr Wendell Richards, head of the Standards Compliance Department at the National Bureau of Standards; and Col Daniel Pryce, director general, Island Traffic Authority.
Among the moderators for the two-day event are Dr Lucien Jones, chairman of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition and vice chair of the National Road Safety Council. Other moderators include Dr Parris Lyew-Ayee, vice president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and Paula Fletcher, executive director of the National Road Safety Council.
Ms Allen said the objectives and outcomes of the sessions are to uncover best practices. Furthermore, they aim to promote evidence-based recommendations for regional implementation and encourage collaboration to increase helmet wearing.
Improving Helmet Certification Standards
Other goals include creating a regional action plan. This plan will improve helmet certification standards. It will also test helmet imports and boost public awareness campaigns.
“Helmet wearing and standardisation is a troubling issue for many countries globally and creates significant economic burdens for small island developing sates, like Jamaica. Even as we take action to improve outcomes for motorcycle drivers here, if we are going to be effective, we will need to collaborate with our regional neighbours to have a stronger voice in this global discussion,” she concluded.
Register to Join the Hybrid Event
The outcomes will serve as a call to action for governments, institutions, and civil society. A final report and refined recommendations will be submitted to regional government representatives. This aims to stimulate further action.
