Helmets do save lives Statistics show they can prevent the majority of
deaths, brain and spinal cord injuries among
cyclists
Proposed helmet law will cover all
Nov. 4.
On Nov. 4, I was in the Ontario Legislature at the
request of John Milloy, MPP for Kitchener Centre who was
shepherding Bill 129, a private member's bill, through its
second reading.
I am a neurosurgeon and President of ThinkFirst Canada,
a national injury prevention foundation and charity whose
mission is to prevent catastrophic injuries, especially brain
and spinal cord injuries. ThinkFirst's policy is: "Helmets
should be worn by people of all ages on all wheeled activities
on streets and roads." Thus, Milloy's Bill 129 is exactly what
we want. It will definitely save lives. Statistics show that
helmets can prevent the majority of deaths from head injury
among bicyclists.
There are two key aspects of Milloy's bill: Extend the
current regulations to riders of all ages from its current
application to only those under 18; and extend it to all
wheeled activities including bicycles, skateboards, in-line
skates, roller skates and scooters from its current coverage
of bicycles only.
In the legislature, the discussion of the new bill and
the accompanying press conference were impassioned by the
personal accounts of the catastrophes that can occur when
adult bicyclists do not wear helmets. We heard that the lack
of a helmet took the lives of bicyclists including MPP Michael
Prue's brother. We also heard how a helmet saved the life of
April Ferguson, now a young vibrant mother, speaking on behalf
of the Ontario Brain Injury Association who was knocked off
her bicycle one week before her wedding. With a helmet on, she
survived her head injury and made an excellent recovery.
ThinkFirst's injury prevention program for elementary
schools (TD ThinkFirst for Kids), given to schools free of
charge due to support by TD Bank, stresses the importance of
wearing helmets and teaches proper fitting and buckling up.
Also, with the help of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism
and Recreation we have researched the incidence of these
tragic injuries. We calculate that the new bill will prevent
50 catastrophic head injuries per year in adult bicyclists in
Ontario. In addition to the terrible toll on families like the
Prues, each major head injury costs society $4 million to $8
million for health care, rehabilitation and lost earnings.
Some provinces, like Nova Scotia, are to be commended
for already having this type of comprehensive "all ages, all
wheeled activities" legislation in place, but other provinces
including Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan have no
legislation about helmets for bicycling or any other wheeled
street activity.
The remaining provinces have less comprehensive
legislation than what is included in Ontario's Bill 129 and
currently in place in Nova Scotia, and so Ontario's initiative
could spur the other provinces to wake up.
Speakers from all the major parties spoke positively
about the bill in the Legislature. Let's get going in Ontario
and pass this bill through committee hearings and third
reading and get it out there to save lives. Many other
provinces have work to do.
Charles H. Tator,
MD, President,
ThinkFirst Canada, Toronto
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