Coroner’s report into cycling deaths sparks helmet-law debate

 TORONTO – First it was the war on cars, now it’s the war on bike helmets after Ontario’s chief coroner recommended Monday the province make bike helmets mandatory for all cyclists.

The coroner’s report examined 129 cycling fatalities in the province between January 2006 and December 2010 and found that only 35 out of 129 of those killed were wearing helmets.

Two-thirds of the 129 fatalities took place in major city centres.

The current provincial law states only cyclists under the age of 18 are required to wear a helmet.

And so the debate begins: Should the province of Ontario make bike helmets mandatory for all cyclists?

“Why would you not want to protect yourself. Brain injuries cost the system money, and costs you your life. How can we tell our kids to wear one when we won’t wear one” commented Victoria Harbour resident, Rhonda Watts on a Facebook posting.

Though some think the government has no right to legislate one’s personal safety choices.

“Whatever happened to freedom of choice? I live in Peterborough, and it’s not the same as Toronto traffic wise. If Toronto wants to make helmets mandatory, fine. But leave the rest of us alone,” said Karen Irvine in an email to Global News.

Others are wary that the province is becoming a nanny state.

“So the government wants to babysit us some more? At what point are we going to say enough,” said Lorelee Siemens.

On the heels of the coroner’s report, cycling advocates in British Columbia are calling for an ease to the 16-year-old bicycle-helmet law.

Chris Bruntlett, of cycling advocacy group called the Church of Situp Cycling, told the Vancouver Province that there has been a decline in cycling.

“We have seen the impact of the mandatory helmet law and it has killed off the idea of a short, spontaneous and slow bicycle trip,” said Bruntlett.

–with files from The Canadian Press