New Alberta helmet requirement for off-highway vehicles comes into effect May 15

May 2nd, 2017  |  Auto

Alberta's latest regulation is less of a trailblazing innovation and more of a 'better late than never' initiative.

On May 15, a rule will come into effect in Alberta that requires all drivers of off-highway vehicles (OHV) to be wearing a helmet that meets the province's standards. In this case, off-highway vehicles refers to ATVs, snowmobiles, tandem ATVs, dirt bikes, and four-wheel drive vehicles. Fines for not wearing an approved helmet will be set at $93 while not wearing one at all will cost drivers $155.

While this is undoubtedly a positive step for the province, it's puzzling that it took this long to implement. Every other province in Canada has laws mandating either all off-highway drivers or certain types of ATV drivers to be wearing helmets.

In its official statement on the matter, the Alberta government said it was spurred to act because of all the head injuries it has seen OHV drivers sustain in the past and the public conversation around them. The province sees nearly 6,000 OHV-related emergency visits every year with an average of 20 fatalities. Transportation Minister Brian Mason said in a statement that "Albertans told us overwhelmingly that they wanted us to make helmets a requirement for OHV riders, and we responded."

Still, some are arguing that the laws aren't going far enough. Alberta Liberal leader David Swann believes the province should also introduce age restrictions and mandatory training, testing, or licensing laws. He also suggested that it should address how it wants to treat intoxicated driving on private property.