Help pass new Canadian helmet law
 

Bill C-289, a Private Members' Bill to the House of Commons requiring all recreational snow sport helmets not approved by the Canadian Standards Association to be prohibited under the Hazardous Products Act.

Please take a few minutes out of your busy day to e-mail
your Member of Parliament,
the Minister of Health, The Hon. Leona AGLUKKAQ, P.C.,
and the Prime Minister.

Save a person from a possible serious brain injury or death by expressing your support for Bill C-289!

More details can be found on the BIAC website:
http://biac-aclc.ca/en/2009/02/10/le...ss-bill-c-289/

How will this bill, if enacted effect the cost of helmets?

I would like to see all helmets sold to include information about the risks of head injury both with and without a helmet. Helmets are valuable safety devices but often create an improper sense of safety that allows an increased risk behavior.

An important statement would be something like:
Wearing a properly fitted and tested helmet will help REDUCE head injury.

It also should include information about the speeds the helmet is tested for. The protection needed in higher speed activities (downhill racing, snow mobiles) is much different than the protection needed in slower activities (snowboard, half pipe) Also, it should included information about concussion and the need to seek early treatment.

I would rather see a public well educated with good information than an misinformed public expecting the government to protect their brains with certification standards.

A well educated public with good information wearing well certified helmets would be the best.

I have worn a helmet while skiing for 9 years. I do not expect it to provide much protection to my damaged brain in a major fall. I do expect it to help with the skier-snowboarder collisions that are a growing risk.

btw, I know of three people who have suffered serious head injuries snowmobiling with top notch helmets. The first was killed by the head injury. More than a decade later, his daughter suffered a serious concussion but recovered to a good function. A few years later, her young son is still recovering from his concussion. The grandson was injured on the same day of the year that his grandfather died.

Hi Mark,

I see your point. However, I don't think anybody sees this law as the ultimate answer to the many issues surrounding helmets. Mostly it's intended to remove from the Canadian market shoddy helmets that provide the illusion of protection. Ironically, these helmets, because they are often garish and/or covered with cartoon characters, are sometimes more expensive than there plainer, safer cousins.

Making sure the helmets on the market are the safest possible is a necessary first step in reducing TBIs. As a former hockey coach, I know that proper fitting is a huge issue. Even before my injury, I was involved in organizing free fitting clinics in shopping malls, rinks, etc...

I also think the big thing is to educate people about the actual mechanism of concussion. Too many people engage is reckless behavior, like elbows to the head and hits from behind, because they believe helmets can prevent all concussions. No helmet can keep your brain from moving inside your skull after a major impact.