KINGSTON, Jamaica — Claudine Allen, general manager of the JN Foundation, is urging government to move swiftly to enforce Jamaica’s new motorcycle helmet standard, and strengthen inspections at the nation’s ports to prevent substandard and counterfeit helmets from entering the country.

Speaking at a National Road Safety Council press conference held at the Office of the Police Commissioner recently, Allen said stronger enforcement of helmet standards is essential if Jamaica is to reverse the growing number of motorcycle-related deaths, the JN Foundation said in a release.

Although the Road Traffic Act and Regulation, as well as the Jamaican helmet standard, all require motorcycle riders and pillion passengers to wear helmets, Allen argued that legislation alone cannot save lives.

“Legislation must be enforced. A country may require riders to wear helmets, but if those helmets are poor quality or fail to meet recognised safety standards, the law cannot achieve its intended purpose,” she said.

Allen noted that the Bureau of Standards Jamaica’s launch of the Jamaica Standard Specification – Protective Helmets for Road Users in March this year, marked a major step towards establishing, for the first time, a nationally recognised benchmark for motorcycle helmet safety. However, she stressed that the standard must now be fully operationalised through coordinated enforcement by several government agencies.

“Operationalising the Jamaican helmet standard means ensuring that only certified helmets are imported, stocked, sold and worn in Jamaica,” she said. “It means strengthening market surveillance so that counterfeit helmets and substandard items are identified and removed from shelves or stopped at our borders.”

She said the Jamaica Customs Agency will play a critical role in ensuring that every shipment declared as motorcycle helmets complies with the country’s safety requirements before entering the local market.

Her call comes against the backdrop of alarming motorcycle fatality statistics which show that from 2021 to 2025, 752 motorcycle drivers and pillion riders were killed in crashes, accounting for about 35 per cent of the country’s 2,139 road fatalities during that period- well above the global average for motorcycle deaths, she pointed out.

According to estimates from the Island Traffic Authority and Jamaica Constabulary Force, more than 90 per cent of those riders were not wearing helmets.

Allen also highlighted concerns about the quality of helmets available locally, citing a small Jamaican study in which just one of 16 helmets tested met the required safety standard.

“Enforcement agencies must also be equipped to identify certified helmets from counterfeit or substandard products, if we are to improve compliance,” she said, highlighting that the National Helmet Wearing Coalition has already partnered with the Jamaica Constabulary Force to provide specialised training for lawmen.

The coalition is a voluntary organisation dedicated to improving motorcycle safety and reducing road fatalities. Launched in March 2024, the coalition is spearheaded by the JN Foundation and the National Road Safety Council with backing from the FIA Foundation.

Consumer education is equally important, she added, pointing out that many riders remain unaware that helmets come in different sizes, must be properly secured with chin straps, and have expiration dates that affect their protective performance.

Allen asserted that making quality helmets both affordable and accessible should be viewed as a public health priority. Citing World Health Organization research, she noted that a properly fitted and fastened quality helmet can reduce the risk of death by more than six-fold and lower the risk of serious brain injury by up to 74 per cent.

“Every certified helmet placed on the head of a rider represents an investment in that person’s future, their family’s well-being and the country’s productivity,” she said.

“The objective is simple- when a Jamaican purchases a motorcycle helmet, they should have the confidence that it meets the required safety standards and will perform as intended when it matters most.”

Allen underscored that the country’s road safety challenge extends beyond statistics, noting that young men between the ages of 19 and 29 continue to account for the largest share of motorcycle crash victims.

“These are not just numbers. They are fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and students,” she said. “We have to work together to ensure that they can easily purchase a quality certified helmets. This must become the norm in Jamaica and not the exception.”