Ontario Helmet Law being pushed through

The law would apply to people who skateboard, ride scooters or in-line
skate. Apparently they have decided to leave adult cyclists alone for
now.

http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Stor...4-009/page.asp

My favourite part:

"That includes N.D.P. MPP Michael Prue, who lost his brother to a bike
accident in 1998. “There isn't a day goes by that I don't see someone
on the streets of Toronto, an adult, with no helmet on their head, and
I want to get out of my car or off the sidewalk and I want to grab
them and I want to shake them,” he reflects. “I want to tell them that
this was an absolutely wrong thing, a bad thing to happen."

--
"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its
victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under
robber-barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber-
baron's cruelty may at some point be satiated; but those who
torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they
do so with the approval of their own conscience."

- C.S. Lewis

On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:28:26 -0500, Chris B.
wrote in message
:

"That includes N.D.P. MPP Michael Prue, who lost his brother to a bike
accident in 1998. “There isn't a day goes by that I don't see someone
on the streets of Toronto, an adult, with no helmet on their head, and
I want to get out of my car or off the sidewalk and I want to grab
them and I want to shake them,” he reflects. “I want to tell them that
this was an absolutely wrong thing, a bad thing to happen."

Amazing, isn't it, how people read what they want to read into the
statement "Helmets cannot always protect against injury. Even a very
low speed impact can result in serious injury or death. Any helmet
subjected to a sever impact should be discarded and destroyed, even
though damage may not be outwardly visible. Since this helmet is made
of polystyrene foam, there is a chance it may be penetrated by sharp
objects" (instructions from a Bell helmet)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:28:26 -0500, Chris B.
wrote:

The law would apply to people who skateboard, ride scooters or in-line
skate. Apparently they have decided to leave adult cyclists alone for
now.

Oops, I was mistaken. This law will apply to cyclists of all ages as
well.

http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Stor...4-009/page.asp

My favourite part:

"That includes N.D.P. MPP Michael Prue, who lost his brother to a bike
accident in 1998. “There isn't a day goes by that I don't see someone
on the streets of Toronto, an adult, with no helmet on their head, and
I want to get out of my car or off the sidewalk and I want to grab
them and I want to shake them,” he reflects. “I want to tell them that
this was an absolutely wrong thing, a bad thing to happen."

Crosspost re-inserted

On Thu, 4 Nov 2004 23:20:55 -0500, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:

Are you for or against it? I am FOR it.

Micheal

I wonder why. Are you aware that mandatory helmet laws implemented in
Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Zealand and parts of Australia have not only
not shown benefits but have actually had negative effects (decreased
numbers of cyclists in all cases and sometimes an increase in the rate
of head injury after the law is enacted)?

http://www.cycle-helmets.com/canada_helmets.html

http://www.imt.ie/displayarticle.asp...724&NS=1&SID=1

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/nytimes.html

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1023.html

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1020.html

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/hfaq.html

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/fatals.html

Helmets are already mandatory for children in Ontario (not that the
law is enforced). If reducing the rates of injury and death to
cyclists is such a priority, time, money and energy would be far, far
better spent on teaching cyclists to ride lawfully and skillfully on
the road. Children nowadays don't have any idea of how to ride safely
because their parents, who themselves haven't cycled in years if at
all, also have no clue. When one looks at how cycling is portrayed by
the safety zealots, the media and even many cyclists who should know
better, it's no wonder that so many refuse to ride a bike stating
'it's too dangerous'.

Don't you think that it's at all possible that adults are capable of
informing themselves sufficiently to evaluate the risks of the
activities they are engaging in and deciding for themselves what
safety equipment is necessary, if any?

Does cycling without a helmet really need to be be criminal?

Chris B. wrote:
Crosspost re-inserted

On Thu, 4 Nov 2004 23:20:55 -0500, "Micheal Artindale"
wrote:

Are you for or against it? I am FOR it.

Micheal

I wonder why. Are you aware that mandatory helmet laws implemented in
Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Zealand and parts of Australia have not only
not shown benefits but have actually had negative effects (decreased
numbers of cyclists in all cases and sometimes an increase in the rate
of head injury after the law is enacted)?

http://www.cycle-helmets.com/canada_helmets.html

http://www.imt.ie/displayarticle.asp...724&NS=1&SID=1

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/nytimes.html

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1023.html

http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1020.html

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/hfaq.html

http://www.magma.ca/~ocbc/fatals.html

Helmets are already mandatory for children in Ontario (not that the
law is enforced). If reducing the rates of injury and death to
cyclists is such a priority, time, money and energy would be far, far
better spent on teaching cyclists to ride lawfully and skillfully on
the road. Children nowadays don't have any idea of how to ride safely
because their parents, who themselves haven't cycled in years if at
all, also have no clue. When one looks at how cycling is portrayed by
the safety zealots, the media and even many cyclists who should know
better, it's no wonder that so many refuse to ride a bike stating
'it's too dangerous'.

Don't you think that it's at all possible that adults are capable of
informing themselves sufficiently to evaluate the risks of the
activities they are engaging in and deciding for themselves what
safety equipment is necessary, if any?

Does cycling without a helmet really need to be be criminal?

I always wear a helmet. I destroyed one a month ago in a crash- and walked
away. it will not prevent all injuries, but it improves your odds of
walking away. That said, not sure I want a law mandating helmets. Here in
PA they just repealed the motorcycle helmet law.

--
Bob Burns
Mill Hall PA

Chris Phillipo writes:

In article , bikerider@-no-
spam-thanks-rogers.com says...

I wonder why. Are you aware that mandatory helmet laws implemented in
Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Zealand and parts of Australia have not only
not shown benefits but have actually had negative effects (decreased
numbers of cyclists in all cases and sometimes an increase in the rate
of head injury after the law is enacted)?


Ho hum, that would be a neat trick considering the helmet laws are not
even enforced outside of Halifax in Nova Scotia. Which makes me think
the rest of these "statitics" are in quesiton.

Are you saying that people should obey the law only if it is actually and
actively enforced?

Dragan

--
Dragan Cvetkovic,

To be or not to be is true. G. Boole No it isn't. L. E. J. Brouwer

!!! Sender/From address is bogus. Use reply-to one !!!

On Thu, 04 Nov 2004 17:28:26 -0500, Chris B. wrote:

Apparently they have decided to leave adult cyclists alone for
now.

Helmet laws do nothing to stop people from riding like idiots.

Ticketing irresponsible riders might...

On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 16:00:24 GMT, maxo wrote:

Helmet laws do nothing to stop people from riding like idiots.

They do! They do!

Oh, riding /like idiots/. As you were then.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

Chris Phillipo writes:

I'm saying that he constantly posts statistics that claim
helmet use is detrimental to the health of the people because it deters
them from riding, I counter that in Nova Scotia helmet use is not
enforced so where exactly is this deterrent for riders?

Chris, these two statements don't oppose and contradict each other.


--
Dragan Cvetkovic,

To be or not to be is true. G. Boole No it isn't. L. E. J. Brouwer

!!! Sender/From address is bogus. Use reply-to one !!!

On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 16:10:06 +0000, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:

Helmet laws do nothing to stop people from riding like idiots.

They do! They do!

I just think this is an absurd way to go about public safety. I'm no more
against helmets than seatbelts and airbags...but address the cause--why
are bikes & riders hitting the pavement--not the symptom--purple owies.

I've lived in places in the world where people are much more bike
savvy than in the US and Canada and follow the rules of the road
better--they don't seem to wear a lot of helmets, though they're catching
on for kids, but they don't seem to fall down as much either.