FIA Member Club the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica (ACCR) has launched the fifth edition of its ‘Safe Helmets – New Era’ programme with the delivery of 150 certified helmets in San José alongside a helmet exchange model to replace and recycle damaged or unsafe helmets and reduce their environmental impact.  

Implemented in communities across the country, the ‘Safe Helmets – New Era’ programme aims to help save lives on the road while also protecting the planet. Through its responsible helmet exchange model, the ACCR receives damaged or unsafe helmets from riders and provides new, certified helmets in return, alongside road safety training sessions.  

This not only increases protection for motorcyclists, and reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries, but also removes equipment that no longer meets safety standards from circulation. Collected helmets are then recycled under strict criteria to prevent materials such as plastics, foams, and fibres from negatively impacting the environment. 

To date, approximately 3,400 helmets have been recycled in the country, helping prevent an estimated 5.1 to 13.6 tonnes of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere, roughly equivalent to taking three vehicles off the road for an entire year.

Daniel Coen, President of the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica and FIA Vice President for Sport – North America, said: “By providing riders with certified helmets across Costa Rica, we are directly improving protection for thousands of people who rely on motorcycles for mobility. 

“Through this programme we are demonstrating how we can improve rider safety while reducing harmful waste through a model that can be replicated in countries across the region.” 

Willem Groenewald, FIA Secretary General for Automobile Mobility, Sustainability and Tourism, said: “Programmes like Automóvil Club de Costa Rica’s ‘Safe Helmets – New Era’ are demonstrating that road safety and environmental sustainability go hand in hand. 

“By taking unsafe helmets out of circulation and ensuring they’re properly recycled, ACCR are not only saving lives today but also contributing to a more sustainable mobility future.” 

Through the education and support delivered as part of the ‘Safe Helmets – New Era’ programme, the ACCR is reinforcing its role in driving behavioural change for road users and promoting safer and more sustainable mobility. 

By demonstrating the potential of the programme nationally, the ACCR has also demonstrated how its model can be replicated across the region, strengthening its leadership in the development of evidence-based road safety policies.