ICBC says more than 11,000 cyclists were ticketed in Vancouver in the past five years for not wearing a helmet, and they either did not pay or argued the cost of the $29 fine.
The tickets were issued under the Motor Vehicle Act to cyclists not wearing a helmet, or to parents for allowing their kids to ride without a helmet.
A spokesperson for ICBC says they refuse to issue both driver and vehicle licences for outstanding debt owed to government under the Motor Vehicle Act, and this includes cyclist infractions.
Under section 184 of the Act, the City of Vancouver states:
- A person commits an offence if that person operates or rides as a passenger on a cycle on a highway and is not properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that
- is designated as an approved bicycle safety helmet under subsection (4) (a), or
- meets the standards and specifications prescribed under subsection (4) (b).
- A parent or guardian of a person under the age of 16 years commits an offence if the parent or guardian authorizes or knowingly permits the person to operate or ride as a passenger on a cycle on a highway if that person is not properly wearing a bicycle safety helmet that
- is designated as an approved bicycle safety helmet under subsection (4) (a), or
- meets the standards and specifications prescribed under subsection (4) (b).
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Sgt. Randy Fincham with the Vancouver Police Department says tickets of this nature are added to the person’s record. “It does form part of somebody’s record until it’s been disputed or paid,” he tells Global News.
If it isn’t dealt with a person can be served a summons to appear in court, which could turn into a warrant where they would have to pay the fine or be held in custody.
“But that’s reserved if someone actually accumulates a number of tickets,” says Fincham.
The City of Vancouver wants to create three more bike lanes. But as Grace Ke reports, not everyone is on board with the idea:
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