BSJ launches new national helmet standard

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) has launched a new national standard for helmets worn by motorcyclists: JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification – Protective Helmets for Road Users.

The standard forms part of a wider national effort to promote the use of certified, high-quality motorcycle helmets as a life-saving measure aimed at reducing head injuries and fatalities.

State Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Delano Seiveright, noted that motorcyclists remain among the most vulnerable road users.

“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,” he said at Tuesday’s launch at the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) Incubator and Resource Centre in Kingston.

Seiveright added that too many lives are being lost or irreversibly altered because of substandard protective equipment, or simply the failure to wear it.

“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.

The standard outlines requirements for impact absorption, penetration resistance, retention systems, field of vision, and proper labelling and certification.

“This initiative by the BSJ supports national road-safety objectives and promotes a culture of compliance and responsible road use,” Seiveright noted.

BSJ Executive Director Dr Velton Gooden said the JS 374:2025 Jamaica Standard Specification has been developed to introduce clear, practical and internationally aligned guidelines for protective helmets used by motorbike riders.

“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.

JS 374:2025 establishes defined safety and quality benchmarks that all protective helmets for road users must meet, ensuring that the helmets available on the Jamaican market are aligned with global best practice.