From: bgiven@alfred.carleton.ca (Brian Given)
Subject: ONTARIO'S HELMET LAW - HELP!
Summary: Bill 124 would require all bicyclists to wear helmets at all times
Keywords: helmet law
Organization: Carleton University
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 15:59:19 GMT

Bill 124 will be the most far-reaching helmet legislation in North
America. While it will be enacted in Ontario, Canada, affecting about
10,000,000 Canadians, it could set a dangerous precedent for the
continent.

I am a member of the Citizens For Safe Cycling - Helmet Task Force
which is one of the organizations working to defeat this bill.  Most
of us wear helmets and would support moves to promote them.  We are
against this infringement on our right to choose.

We beleive that it is up to us, the cyclists, to decide whether our
style of cycling or a particular cycling context requires a helmet.
And we recognize that our own opinions regarding appropriate uses of
helmets may not be those of other cyclists.  Promoting helmet use is
just fine with us - we do it ourselves.  But cyclists have a right to
make their own judgements - they have a right to disagree.

It is noteworthy that the Government of Ontario bases this legislation
upon a set of emotionally based assumptions rather than upon competent
research.  Such research was done by the British Medical Association
which, in its massive report, voted against the mandating of helmets
in the U.K.

The B.M.A. study does make it very clear that the numbers of "life
years gained" by regular cycling far outweighs the number of "life
years lost" through accident or injury.  If the politicians are really
concerned about our health they would be PROMOTING cycling through
education, traffic calming, better facilities etc. etc. rather than
suppressing it through helmet legislation. The Australian studies show
clearly that mandating helmet use suppresses cycling.  Fewer people
continue to cycle, fewer begin and people use their bicycles less.

More importanty, a law such as this, which focusses on injury rather
than on reducing accidents, ignores the causes of bicycle accidents.
The legislation sweeps issues like safer roads, better police
enforcement of cyclists rights on the road, and ...yes..better
education for cyclists etc. under the carpet.

The argument that non-helmeted cyclists' rights may be infringed
because they incurr costly head injuries makes no sense at all.  Using
the same statistics we could argue just as effectively that MUCH more
of the taxpayers' money could be saved if we mandated helmet use for
passengers in automobiles.  And what about skiers?

As usual, the politicians are picking an easy target and letting the
"soldiers of safety" act out a compulsion to mandate their
symbols of security.  Enough already!  Freedom to choose is more
important than safety and there is little evidence to support the
contention that this law will have a significant effect on that!

Nobody is telling you NOT to wear a helmet.  In fact most of us think
it is a pretty good idea.  But there is an important distinction to be
made between thinking that something is a good idea and needing to
coerce others, all others, into behaving as if they agreed!

This message expresses my personal opinions.  If you want to support
the campaign against this legislation, or if you can offer us useful
information, you can contact me at bgiven@ccs.carleton.ca or write to:

CITIZENS FOR SAFE CYCLING
BOX 248, Stn. B
OTTAWA, ONTARIO
CANADA
K1P 6C4

or phone at (613) 722-4454

          If you are interested in writing to the politicians, here
are a few names:

Evelyn Gigantes (613) 237-0212 (cabinet member)

Dalton McGuinty (613) 736-9573 (on Bill 124 Committee)

Dianne Cunningham (416) 325-3500 (sponsor of bill 124)

You can get the name, number and address of any MPP by dialing ACCESS
ONTARIO AT 416-238-3630 and you can save long distance charges by
dialing 1-800-268-3747 and follow the recorded instructions. (I don't
know if this would work for our American cousins).

Give us a hand if you can!  This sort of legislation has a "virus"
quality. Let's stop it here!

Brian Given