BC Introduces New helmet laws.

[martinph]

Dont think many MOA Riders wear them, but, BC has outlawed "Beanie Helmets" as of June 1st.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/30/bc-motorcycle-helmet-law.html

 

[36654]

Dont think many MOA Riders wear them, but, BC has outlawed "Beanie Helmets" as of June 1st.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/04/30/bc-motorcycle-helmet-law.html

I didn't know that intelligent government still existed. My dear Canadian friends, I am impressed.

 

[AKsuited]

Beanie helmets have never been legal in any state that requires a motorcycle helmet be used since they do not meet any standards, DOT, Snell, or simple common sense.
A big percentage of helmets in use in NY are illegal beanie helmets, but who cares?

Harry

 

[yankeeone]

Honey badger dont care.

 

[BCKRider]

British Columbia has had a "motorcycle helmet required" law since the 1960s.

Legal wrangling and many court cases which went as far as the BC Supreme Court resulted, for the last 20 years, or so in a legal loophole, which the province of BC refused to close. It was over the definition of what was an acceptable motorcycle helmet. The province did not want to set up an approved list of helmet standards which could be attacked as their original list of makes and models of helmet had been.

So for quite a while the province's cops have turned a blind eye to what helmet, or non-helmet, was being worn. This resulted, some years ago, in exemption, from the unenforced helmet law, for riders of the Sikh religion, based on an interpretation in BC of the Canadian Charter of Rights. This has further confused the issue.

The move to require DOT, Snell 2005 or 2010 or ECE22-05 certified helmets will probably be challenged in the courts by the same BCCOM (BC Coalition of Motorcyclists) who were involved in previous opposition efforts on helmets.

Other motorcycling safety initiatives being brought in by BC in the next year are, a graduated licensing system (other Canadian provinces have adopted such), motorcycle size limitations for novice riders and footrests and use of them by pillion passengers.

Much public comment has been made in response to the BC govt. announcements about the need of motorcycle noise limitations.

Effectiveness of the helmet regulation, which comes into force in a month, will no doubt, depend heavily on the level of enforcement. Enforcement of other recent BC road safety initiatives, such as cell phone use while driving, has not been adequate, according to some reports.

EXR911

Good points. BC also requires bicycle helmets - a law which is frequently ignored and, I believe, never enforced. Also, some "approved" helmets look almost exactly like the ones soon to be banned. I can imagine the outrage if riders with legal helmets are being pulled over just to check their helmet. (Hopefully my white full-face Shoei won't garner close inspection.) For those that hang up their beanies and ride bareheaded, I wonder how the cops can prove those riders are not Sikhs? (That is a faith, not a race, correct?)

It is often asserted but never proven that non (or inadequately) helmeted riders cost the health system more money. Maybe they ride more carefully on average. Maybe they don't and die more often, but this may be cheaper on average than the medical costs of riders with serious helmets. Who knows?

My feeling; this is another well-intentioned but bad law that is doomed to failure for a variety of reasons. But not before it has made a lot of bucks for some lawyers and made our over burdened court system even worse.

I'm pretty sure

 

[Marv12]

I think for these personal safety issues like helmets, education would be better than laws. Once they are educated about the benefits of good quality helmets they have to have the cognitive ability to process the information. People should be free to do stupid things. Eventually it will make for a smarter society. It's natural selection.

 

[36654]

I think for these personal safety issues like helmets, education would be better than laws. Once they are educated about the benefits of good quality helmets they have to have the cognitive ability to process the information. People should be free to do stupid things. Eventually it will make for a smarter society. It's natural selection.

Did you ever live near one of these non-rocket scientists? Their stupid action can easily turn into your pain in the butt.

 

[classicvw]

I'm for requiring helmet use. Of course, I have investigated thousands of crashes, and realize if you fly off your M/C at 70MPH and your helmeted head strikes a concrete divider, you're still probably dead. But my own helmeted head struck an 80,000 lb fully loaded dump truck at low speed, and I didn't receive so much as a headache.

But a single young person rendered a quadraplegic can cost all of us, by way of public health expense, somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 Million over his life expectancy.