You see them everywhere: cyclists riding across Greater Victoria’s streets and trails, hair flowing in the breeze. A picture of freedom and fitness, no doubt, but also a contravention of B.C. laws.
A person riding a bicycle without helmet, or the parent of a child under 16 not wearing a helmet on a bike, is liable to a fine of not more than $100.
But the provincial helmet law doesn’t fit well with Victoria’s bicycle mayor, who says helmets shouldn’t be necessary for cycling.
READ MORE: Victoria sees Canada’s first bicycle mayor
READ MORE: Victoria bicycle mayor says helmet laws a ‘sign of a failed government’
Susan Stokhof, the first bicycle mayor of Victoria – and the first ever in Canada – took to social media to share her views on helmet and safety gear for cyclists.
“In the Netherlands people come first in the street hierarchy and the car is the guest,” she said on her Instagram account. “People are not forced into wearing safety gear and helmets to keep themselves ‘safe’ from people driving cars.The streets are designed for the safety and convenience of people, not car traffic. Therefore, the application of ‘safety gear’ becomes non-existent.”
But groups like the Victoria Brain Injury Society attest to the benefits of wearing a helmet, which can prevent serious injury and even death in a collision.
READ MORE: Cyclist without helmet thrown onto windshield in Victoria
Let us know what you think. Take our poll and share your view on whether there should be more enforcement of helmet laws for cyclists.