Editorial
The provincial government has just wrapped up consultations with municipalities regarding the possibility of making helmet use mandatory for all youths operating off-highway vehicles (OHV) on public land.
The consultations are part of the Alberta Traffic Safety Plan 2015 aimed at improving overall road safety in urban and rural communities.
In calling for input from municipalities, including from Mountain View and Red Deer counties, Alberta Transportation officials said the government is examining possible new rules in hopes of making OHV use safer for young people.
“One option we are exploring is to align the rules for off-highway vehicles with the rules for bicycles; that is, to require all OHV operators and passengers under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while on public land,” said Wendy Doyle, executive director of the Office of Traffic Safety with Alberta Transportation.
While the consultations just completed may eventually end up being part of a provincewide legislative solution, any such solution will certainly take time to make its way through the exhaustive process required to bring about such changes.
And all the while, young people will continue to be free to operate OHVs while not wearing approved helmets.
While it is everyone's hope that no young OHV operators will be injured or even killed over the next months because they are not wearing helmets, a more immediate solution may already be at hand.
That is, municipalities currently have the authority to create OHV helmet bylaws for their respective jurisdictions.
“The government of Alberta believes municipalities are in the best position to understand the safety needs of their communities,” said Doyle. “Because of this, we would like to see municipalities continue to have the authority to create bylaws to enhance the proposed provincial helmet requirement.”
Neither Mountain View nor Red Deer county currently has an OHV helmet bylaw in place.
Yet with residents and visitors of all ages making extensive use of OHVs in recreational areas across both counties, particularly during the very busy summer season, isn't it time for those same municipalities to pass OHV helmet bylaws?
It is probably surprising for many residents to learn that Alberta youths are required to wear helmets while riding bicycles but not when operating powerful motorized OHVs. It is a dangerous and wholly unacceptable situation that must be rectified.
As such, the provincial government should move as quickly as possible to put this situation right – and in the meantime, West Central Alberta municipalities should also act without delay.
