Belize’s former Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, who is now chief executive officer of the country’s Ministry of Transport, has highlighted that despite having in place helmet wearing laws to protect motorcyclists and reduce deaths, his country is facing a mix of challenges with enforcement due to complexities posed by crime and violence in Belize, as well as other social realities.
Williams was contributing to a panel discussion exploring regional perspectives on helmet use at the recent Heads Up Think Tank held at the AC Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. The event was hosted by the National Helmet Wearing Coalition, a project of the JN Foundation in partnership with the National Road Safety Council, with funding from the FIA Foundation. The JN Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The Jamaica National Group, one of the largest financial conglomerates in Jamaica.
Williams noted that there are laws in Belize that mandate the use of helmets and even require that a helmet be provided with every motorcycle sold. Despite the law, compliance remains a challenge, he said, due, in part, to the limited capacity of enforcement agencies and societal sympathy towards vulnerable users, such as low-income single mothers.
“Our transport department works in tandem with the police, but are they doing enough? Are they equipped to do enough? Certainly not,” he argued.
He attributed this shortfall to inadequate investment and resources needed to enforce existing laws effectively.
To make his point clear, Williams described the daily reality of single mothers transporting their children to and from school on motorcycles, often in violation of the law.
“Imagine seeing a single mother riding with two children on a motorcycle. It is against the law, but enforcement officers often hesitate because of sympathy,” he said. “Is that an excuse for breaking the law? I don’t think so.”
Another major concern raised by Williams was the criminal exploitation of helmets. He revealed that more than 80 percent of murders in Belize are committed by suspects on motorcycles, many of whom use full-face helmets to conceal their identities.
“We’ve found that while criminals wear helmets that hide their entire face, law-abiding citizens often wear less protective gear,” he said.
To address this, Belize is exploring legislative options, including a controversial proposal to require visible identification numbers on helmets and the motorcycles they are worn with.
“We’re considering making it an offence to wear a helmet without the matching vehicle number displayed,” Williams disclosed.
With the rise in fuel costs and worsening traffic congestion, motorcycles have become the most affordable and efficient mode of transportation in Belize, but Williams cautioned that this growing popularity must be matched by effective regulation.
“As the use of motorcycles increases, we must ensure that the appropriate mechanisms are in place to deal with the illegal use and safety concerns that come with them,” he said.
“Helmet use must be a legal obligation, not a choice, because it can save lives, and that’s what we are here to do,” he emphasized.
Other presenters on the panel were Dr Terry Smith, principal scientist at Galateus based in the United States; Dr Wendell Richards, regulatory affairs expert National Compliance and Regulatory Authority in Jamaica; Gonzalo Peón, director and chief executive officer of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in Mexico; and Shivanie Mahadeo, representative of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.
