The HEADS UP! Regional Think Tank brought together regional leaders, policymakers, civic society, auto clubs, and technical experts in Kingston, Jamaica, for a collaborative dialogue aimed at addressing motorcycle helmet safety across the Caribbean and Latin America.  

Across the Americas and Caribbean region, motorcycle numbers rose 217% between 2011 and 2020, and with it, the proportion of motorcyclist deaths. A good quality helmet, properly worn, can reduce the risk of death by six times and the risk of serious head injury by over 70%. 

Hosted by the National Helmet Wearing Coalition (NHWC) - a project of the JN Foundation and the National Road Safety Council, with support from the FIA Foundation - the event provided a platform to explore regional challenges, legislative gaps, enforcement barriers, and multi-sectoral cultural shifts related to helmet use. The conference welcomed participants from across the region, including Belize, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, and Canada.

The event opened with welcome remarks from Dr. Lucien Jones, National Road Safety Council Vice President, Claudine Allen, JN Foundation General Manager, and a representative on behalf of the Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport. Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director, delivered a keynote speech on the importance of access to quality helmets. 

A memorandum of understanding was also signed during the conference between the Jamaica National Constabulary, the JN Foundation and the Global Road Safety Partnership, supported by the FIA Foundation. The two-year training programme to support fair and effective helmet-wearing enforcement will further strengthen the work of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition and is the first of its type, solely focused on policing around helmet compliance.

Throughout the event, FIA Foundation advocacy and programmatic work were highlighted. FIA Foundation Media and Advocacy Manager Kate Turner presented on strategic storytelling in global road safety during the session ‘Storytelling for Advocacy and Inclusion’ while partners ITDP Mexico and Transaid set out how helmet campaigns have coalesced stakeholders and catalysed action in Mexico and Kenya, respectively. Details of recent helmet standard changes in the Dominican Republic, also supported by the FIA Foundation, were presented by the national agency INTRANT. Case studies were supported by technical expertise, including that of Dr Terry Smith, who has consulted on standard development on a number of FIA Foundation-funded projects including in Rwanda, Jamaica, and Mexico. 

Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director, said, “Across the Latin American and Caribbean region, motorcycle numbers are rising rapidly, and with that we are seeing a sharp increase in deaths and serious head injuries. While the situation in each country varies, there are many commonalities, and for all, the universal and enforced use of quality helmets is the leading way to protect a vulnerable but often overlooked group of road users. It is great to join the National Helmet Wearing Coalition as it convenes experience and expertise from across the region and the world to identify key interventions, especially through national coalitions to save lives.”

Claudine Allen, JN Foundation General Manager, “This regional think tank is not a talk shop; we are identifying solutions- regulatory, cultural, economic- that will take us closer to zero motorcycle deaths. We were delighted to see so many countries participate and commit to taking action with advocacy and, above all, collaboration. We have an immense task ahead, but it’s not insurmountable, and we can all learn from the countries that are already successfully tackling their motorcyclist injuries and deaths.”

Dr Lucien Jones, Chairman of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition Steering Committee and Vice Chairman of the National Road Safety Council, added: “The HEADS UP! Regional Think Tank has provided encouragement and inspiration for members of the Coalition to continue this national effort and sharpen focus to get certified helmets on the heads of every driver and pillion rider. It has provided a forum for the exchange of ideas going forward on how we can successfully import affordable and certified helmets and also establish a regional testing facility. We can learn a lot from our regional partners on how to overcome challenges in our way and strengthen our advocacy skills, helping our political, private sector, and civil society leaders to appreciate that motorcyclist safety is a regional priority.”