That in the opinion of the house, the Government of Ontario:
Recognize the safety benefits of wearing an approved helmet by those
using bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters and other similar
devices on our roadways, trails and in our parks;
Acknowledge that the original intent of legislative changes passed by this Legislature in 1993 to section 104 of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act was that all cyclists should wear an approved helmet regardless of age;
Repeal the regulation enforcing these changes which exempt cyclists over the age of 18 from mandatory helmet use;
Explore legislative measures to make helmet use mandatory for those
using other muscular powered devices such as rollerblades, skateboards
and scooters;
Take into account those who choose not to wear a helmet because to do so would interfere with his or her religious beliefs or practices;
Instruct the Ministry of Health Promotion, in conjunction with the
Ministry of Transportation and other interested stakeholders to develop
a comprehensive education and safety campaign aimed at urging helmet use by those using bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and other similar devices and;
Ensure that any safety campaign also address broader safety issues
related to bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, scooters and similar
devices including the role and responsibility of motorists in ensuring
the safety of cyclists on our roadways.
November 2006