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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Bid for mandatory bicycle helmet law fails

By: Staff Writer

9/06/2009 1:31 PM | Comments: 10

WINNIPEG--Maybe a fourth time will be the charm for Liberal Kevin Lamoureux.
The MLA for Inkster saw his private member’s bill calling for a mandatory bicycle helmet law fail a third time in the Manitoba legislature Tuesday.
Lamoureux said he’ll re-introduce the bill a fourth time at the earliest opportunity, likely in the fall or early next year.
Lamoureux said a half-a-dozen provinces have their own bicycle helmet laws and that it’s wrong for Manitoba not to follow them.
"I’ll bring it back," he said. "I can’t believe all the other provinces are wrong."
Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said during Tuesday’s debate the province wants to opt for an education campaign to encourage all cyclists to wear a helmet. The province also hands out free helmets to many low-income children.
Lamoureux’s bill would make helmet-use mandatory for all cyclists, but he said he’s open to changing it to make it mandatory for children under 16. Helmet laws in other provinces also mostly focus on children.
He said his goal is to eventually get his bill to the committee stage where presenters will have a better chance to persuade the province to see the merits in a mandatory bike helmet law.

 

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10 Commentscomment icon

I agree that helmets should be worn when riding a bike. You only have one head and a lot of people don't realize how easy it is to suffer a serious head injury.

However, I find something wrong with being able to continuously re-introduce failed bills until opposition to them is worn down to the point where they change their mind and pass them.

Taxed, you really mean, "...if you accidentally hit a cyclist and they [he/she?] died from a severely lacerated liver and two collapsed lungs, and blood loss from the mangled jaw, and they weren't wearing a helmet, how would you feel???..." don't you? A helmet offers good protection from minor scrapes and mild concussions, if the force is applied just right. As for being run over by a gravel truck, ... ???

I'm aware of the pitfalls of extrapolation, but as a kid I, along with my many siblings cycled many miles in rural Manitoba without incident. I later farmed for an extended period, and operated a 4-wheeler ... without wearing a helmet, again without incident [to my eternal shame, I must admit]. I now spend my summers in a province that is much more gung-ho on enforcing helmet laws...so I do without the 4-wheeler, and areas of the property that should get managed or checked on also do without. [and thanks in advance for the boo-hoos!] ;)

Is it possible that those who trumpet common sense are on to something?

Lamoureux just want to be effective in any way possible. Why not introduce a bill for the fifth time, or sixth or seventh just so you can say you did somtehing once.

"Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross said during Tuesday’s debate the province wants to opt for an education campaign to encourage all cyclists to wear a helmet. The province also hands out free helmets to many low-income children."

And yet the NDP has no problem introducing a bill to make a first time offender pay up to $5,000 for interfering with a service animal?

Let me get this straight: an education campaign aimed at getting kids to wear helmets would work, but an education campaign aimed at informing people about the dangers of interfering with a service animal would not work? I admit I don't have the statistics, but I suspect there are fewer injuries incurred when a service animals is interfered with than there are from children being hurt while riding bicycles.

It would seem that injured children need a better lobby group within the NDP.

"For children, fine, but adults no."

I sure hope you aren`t a role model for any children! Monkey see, monkey do!!!!

"Bottom line is people need to protect themselves by being alert and mindful of their surroundings and rules of the road."

So are both parties always at fault for an accident? Sure being mindful and alert is great as long as everyone else is, not to mention all the drunks on our roads!! Helmets can save lives!!　If you accidently hit a cyclist and they died because they weren`t wearing a helmet how would you feel???

Regardless of of how good of an idea the Liberals have...let's face it... there are only 2 Liberals in the Legislative Assembly.
Although they have a voice- it is sooooo quiet.
Too bad- maybe Lamoureaux would move it a lot faster if he "passed a note" over to a Conservative buddy 2 rows ahead of his seat.

It's mandatory for drivers to wear seatbelts, and motorcyclists and drivers of scooters to wear helmets. Bicycles are road vehicles (it's illegal for adults to ride on the sidewalk) so it makes sense to me to require cyclists to wear helmets.

An added bonus will be the fine revenue from all those too vain or stupid to wear a helmet.

Having only cycled for a short time (5 years) I must say I agree with wearing a helmet and I do. I do however disagree with making it mandatory or legislating it. For children, fine, but adults no. Where will we stop with this type of legislation. There's no end to all the hazardous things we do which can injure us. Legislate them all?? Maybe someday we can legislate common sense and solve all our problems.

Liberal Kevin Lamoureu should find something better usefull than waste Manitoba legislature time on this. Do the liberals even have offical party status in this province? Get a life!

makes more sense to make them mandatory for people in cars based on statistics. So i think it's a bad idea, what next helmets for joggers or walkers. Bottom line is people need to protect themselves by being alert and mindful of their surroundings and rules of the road.

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