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Helmet campaign needs heart - Advocate says telling real stories can save lives
July 22, 2025
Christopher Atkinson, a member of the National Helmet Wearing Coalition, is calling on stakeholders to harness the power of personal stories to promote road safety and increase helmet use.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Heads-Up Regional Think Tank on motorcycle helmet safety, held recently at the AC Hotel in New Kingston, Atkinson emphasised the emotional impact of real-life experiences in driving meaningful behaviour change.
"Motorcycle safety is personal not just procedural. We talk a lot about data, accident rates, helmet usage, traffic laws, but what truly shifts behaviour is emotion. People rarely remember statistics, but they do remember stories, stories that feel real, reflect their lives and make them think that could be me," he said.
While acknowledging that education and enforcement are key components of road safety, Atkinson argued that they are not enough on their own to transform attitudes and behaviours.
"What we're missing is emotion because emotion moves people. When we tell real stories about real riders, people pay attention," he said.
"When a biker shares how he got hit and how a helmet saved him, that sticks. When a mother explains why she made her teenage son wear a helmet every single day, that inspires. The goal is not to scare people but to connect and once that connection is made, they begin to believe in the whys behind the rules," he emphasised.
Atkinson was addressing a diverse audience of regional experts, policymakers, road safety advocates, motorcycle riders, and communication professionals who came together to explore strategies to tackle the rising number of motorcycle-related injuries and deaths across Jamaica, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
The two-day event was hosted by the National Helmet Wearing Coalition -- a project of the JN Foundation in collaboration with the National Road Safety Council and funded by the FIA Foundation.
Atkinson argued that compelling road safety messages aren't born in boardrooms but rather in real-life experiences on the ground.
"We need stories that uplift not just serve as cautionary tales, we need stories that show the pride in putting on a helmet, the honour in riding responsibly, the love behind slowing down so you can come home safe. We need stories that show that in every corner of every city or village safety is an act of resilience and resilience is something to celebrate not just survive," he said.
