London Police Services Media Release - Motorcycle Helmets
Whether you agree or not, some laws are necessary to protect society despite possibly infringing on an individual’s Constitutional Right. The protection of the whole outweighs the minor infringement to the few.
Seatbelt usage would probably fall under this category and so would (I suspect) the mandatory requirement for motorcyclists to wear helmets.
Currently it is a law in each of the Canadian provinces that all drivers and riders on a motorcycle must wear a proper helmet. In the United States there are still some States that allow the driver or passenger to not have to wear a helmet and some States have age restrictions before a driver or rider can go helmetless.
During the first two weeks of July, London police officers have ticketed 6 individuals for wearing improper helmets while on motorcycles. These “illegal” helmets are generally referred to as “skull caps” and offer little more than a thin layer of plastic between the head and the concrete. A ticket for using an improper helmet carries a $110.00 fine. The illegal helmet is seized and the driver/passenger is forced to park the motorcycle and get a legal helmet before continuing their journey.A legal helmet must be in good condition, free of cracks and puncture damage; it must be CSA, SNELL, British Standards or USAFMVS approved, it must have an authentic D.O.T. sticker on the back; must have impact absorbing material and it must use steel “double d” rings to secure the helmet to the head.Riders are required to surrender their helmet to an officer for inspection and failure to do so will result in a $110.00 ticket.The law is the law, officers won’t overlook motorcyclists who think wearing a thin plastic cap is their right or a victimless crime. We’ll take care of you when you choose not to.
