Alberta’s minister of transportation said Tuesday the NDP is planning to introduce helmet legislation for ATV use in the fall.
Brian Mason said the government is working on “getting it right” and wrapping up consultation. He said there are a number of issues to consider.
“Do you require helmets on ATVs used as service vehicles on farms, for example? That sort of thing. What about private property, what about public property?” he said.
“We’re sorting through those things but it’s absolutely the intention there will be helmet legislation for ATVs this fall.”
Mason’s announcement comes three days after a 12-year-old boy was killed in an ATV rollover in the McLean Creek area, southwest of Calgary. Mounties originally said the father and son were both wearing helmets at the time of the crash, but clarified Monday they were not. RCMP Sgt. Jeff Campbell said helmets are currently not required, but are highly recommended on ATVs in Alberta.
READ MORE: Teen boy killed in ATV rollover while riding with his father in McLean Creek
After three children died in ATV crashes between May 1 and June 21, 2015, Mason told Global News he was planning a review into ATV safety for children, acknowledging Alberta’s laws are lagging behind other jurisdictions.
“I hope to convene a meeting of various stakeholders in order to discuss options,” Mason said in a 2015 interview. “I think it’s important to note that Alberta is the only province that doesn’t require helmet use with ATVs, so that will be one of the things that we’ll be looking at.”
READ MORE: Should Alberta restrict kids under 16 from riding ATVs?
Premier Rachel Notley said Monday her hearts went out to the families impacted when ATV accidents occur.
“Our minister’s looking into the issue, because we need to make smart decisions to make sure people stay safe,” she said.
“We don’t want to be impinging on their freedom, but we also want to make sure that people stay safe.”
Alberta’s current Traffic Safety Act states it’s illegal for anyone under 14 to operate an off-highway vehicle on public land without adult supervision.
A 2012 status report on child and youth health public policy suggests North American youth rarely follow best practices for ATV use. Less than 50 per cent of those surveyed wore helmets consistently; less than 25 per cent took safety training courses.
The 2012 status report ranked Alberta’s ATV legislation as “poor” and pointed to success stories in other provinces:
“One year after Nova Scotia restricted children under the age of 14 years from operating ATVs, there was a 50 per cent reduction in ATV-related injuries for that age group.”
With files from Heather Yourex