Alberta’s Transportation Minister is expected to introduce new legislation surrounding the use of helmets for off-road vehicles Monday afternoon.
The government has been working on Bill 36 and wrapped up consultations over the summer.
READ MORE: Alberta NDP to propose ATV helmet law in the fall
Back in June, Brian Mason said the government is working on “getting it right.” But he said there were still 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?” Mason said.
Bill 36, An Act to Enhance Off-Highway Vehicle Safety, is expected to be tabled at 3 p.m.
According to the Injury Prevention Centre of Alberta, the leading cause of death for quad riders and passengers between 2002 and 2013 was head injuries. Of the riders that died, 77 per cent were not wearing a helmet.
Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act states it’s illegal for anyone under 14 years of age to operate an off-highway vehicle on public land without adult supervision.
READ MORE: Dangerous summer continues for Alberta kids and ATVs
In June of 2015, Mason told Global News he planned to review ATV safety for children, acknowledging Alberta’s laws are lagging behind other jurisdictions.
READ MORE: ATV enthusiasts support Alberta’s push for new helmet law
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 and as few as 24 per cent of those surveyed wore helmets consistently; less than 25 per cent took safety training courses.
“The risk to a child or youth operating a youth model ATV is still almost twice as high as that of an adult on a larger machine,” said the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) report. The society said nearly 40 per cent of ATV-related deaths are among youth under 19 in Canada.
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