Helmet Laws Are Changing. Here Is What Riders Need to Know:

Transport officials say nearly four out of every ten fatal road crashes in Belize involve motorcycles, and the leading cause of those deaths is head injuries. Now, the Ministry of Transport is preparing legislative reforms focused on improving motorcycle helmet safety.

 

Current laws make helmets mandatory for riders but fail to define what type of helmet should be worn. That gap, Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle said, has allowed dangerous substitutes to pass as acceptable protection.

“You see all kinds of helmets being used on a motorcycle, some bicycle helmets and some half-helmets,” Gentle said. “so we are looking closely at the safety element of improving the standards as it relates to the helmet.”

The proposed helmet changes are part of a broader motorcycle safety reform the department has been working on, which also covers regulations for pillion riders, the passengers who ride behind the motorcycle operator.

“Sometimes you see these motorcycle riders taking along a child with an uncertified helmet, a helmet that cannot save their life, with their feet stuck out because they cannot even reach the footstand for the pillion rider on the bike, so these are things that we have to look closely at,” Gentle added.

Belize did record a significant drop in overall traffic fatalities last year, but officials say motorcyclists remain the most vulnerable group on the road.

Tune in to News 5 Live tonight at 6 for the full story, including what the new rules could mean for pillion riders.