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 on June 19 and 20.
The event will feature five panel discussions and three keynote addresses, providing a platform for dynamic dialogue, interdisciplinary collaboration, and policy-orientated solutions.
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, 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 to develop, strengthen and enact policies which save lives.
‘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.
With speakers from countries in the region, the event will explore legislative and regulatory gaps on how weak or absent laws contribute to a culture that undervalues helmet wearing; challenges in enforcement and policing; and nurturing behaviour change through advocacy and storytelling.
Other topics include social and economic impact, highlighting the costs of preventable motorcycle crashes to families, health systems, and national development.
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 and international organisations, including the FIA Foundation.
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; 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 and promote evidence-based recommendations for regional implementation and encourage collaboration to increase helmet wearing.
Other objectives include developing a regional action plan aimed at improving helmet certification standards, testing helmet imports, and enhancing 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.
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 to stimulate further action.
Persons can register to join the hybrid event at no cost via the JN Foundation website at https://www.jnfoundation.com/heads-up-regional-think-tank/
