Latest News

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Law on bicycle helmets due soon

First offenders get off with quiz

By: Steve Lambert

Posted: 11/5/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's bicycle-helmet law will take effect within a few months, and first-time offenders will be able to avoid paying a fine by taking a new online safety quiz.

Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau is finalizing the details of the law, which the legislature approved last spring. The aim, he said, is to promote helmet use while using penalties as something of a last resort.

"Our goal is to actually not collect fines. Our goal would be for people to understand the law and put helmets on their head right away," Rondeau said in an interview.

The law will require anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle or face a $50 fine. But young cyclists caught in a first offence will be allowed to skip the fine by completing a test that will educate them about bicycling safety.

"We're going to develop -- are developing -- a question-and-answer on bike safety that people can do as an alternative to paying a fine," Rondeau said.

The law will come into effect before spring, he said, and be accompanied by a public-education campaign to make cyclists don helmets as automatically as motorists wear seatbelts.

When the law takes effect, Manitoba will join provinces such as Ontario, where minors are also required to wear helmets. But Manitoba's approach stops short of laws in Nova Scotia and British Columbia that apply to adults as well.

Physicians, the opposition Liberals and many cyclists have criticized the exemption for adults, who say kids watch what their parents do.

"If I look at parents, they're going to be the example that kids will follow. And I think if you don't bring it in for everybody, you're going to wind up getting a bad example," said Charles Burchill, an avid cyclist who commutes by bicycle to his downtown job every day.

Doctors Manitoba, the provincial medical association, has said a broader law would reduce the number of severe head injuries cyclists suffer every year.

Rondeau is not ruling out an extension of the law to adults at some later time.

"Those are discussions we'll have on the compliance and we will talk about further measures as we see compliance move forward. But right now, this is the next logical step -- to apply to children. Let's see what happens."

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 5, 2012 A5

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Latest News

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.