A new helmet standard has been launched to protect Jamaican motorcyclists from serious head injury, supported by technical and enforcement expertise from the FIA Foundation and its partners. 

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) launched the JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification to promote the use of certified, high-quality motorcycle helmets. The standard outlines requirements for impact absorption, penetration resistance, retention systems, field of vision, proper labelling, and certification. A good quality helmet, properly worn, can significantly reduce the risk of death and serious head injury.  

The new standard was advocated 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 Coalition has also run a capacity workshop for major stakeholders of the adoption process, including retailers, importers, distributors and governmental technical officers. These efforts are further supported by the launch of the two-year capacity building programme for the Jamaica National Constabulary by the Global Road Safety Partnership, supported by the FIA Foundation and the NHWC. This aims to ensure fair and effective helmet-wearing enforcement.  

FIA Foundation Programmes Director Aggie Krasnolucka joined State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon Delano Seiveright; BSJ Executive Director, Dr Velton Gooden; Chief Executive Officer of the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality, Dr Sharonmae Smith Walker; and Global Road Safety Partnership, CEO David Cliff, and helmet standards expert Dr Terry Smith. 

Hon. Delano Seiveright, State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, said: “Today marks a critical milestone in Jamaica’s ongoing efforts to strengthen road safety, consumer protection and our national quality infrastructure. The launch of JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification – Protective Helmets for Road Users represents far more than the introduction of a technical standard. It represents a decisive step by Jamaica to protect lives through science, regulation and coordinated national action. This standard directly addresses that risk. What the standard delivers, by establishing clear internationally aligned requirements, is that helmets sold in Jamaica provide real protection and not a false sense of security,” he said. 

Dr. Velton Gooden, added: “The standard addresses critical safety and quality parameters, ensuring that helmets worn on our roads are fit for purpose, capable of absorbing impact and designed to protect the lives of those who depend on them every single day. In essence, the standard is about reducing the severe impact of injuries, minimising fatalities, and strengthening public confidence in products available in the marketplace,” he said. 

Aggie Krasnolucka, FIA Foundation Programmes Director, said: “Jamaica is taking significant strides to address the safety of its growing number of motorcyclists with strengthened helmet standards and stronger enforcement. It is fantastic to see the impact of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition in convening and building advocacy, which is translating into meaningful change. What we need to see now is an urgent operationalisation and enforcement of the standard to make sure every helmet in every shop and on every head is truly protective."