Vancouver police crack down on bicycle riders not wearing helmets

Vancouver cyclists heading out to enjoy a ride without a helmet are exposing themselves to a greater risk this summer — a ticket from police.

Const. Tim Fanning said police are on track to hand out nearly three times the number of $35 fines for not wearing a helmet this year compared to 2007.

"In 2006, we wrote just under 700 tickets. Last year, we wrote just under 800. And this year, to date, we've written just under 1,300 tickets," Fanning said on Tuesday.

The increase in tickets is due to more police enforcement and more people not wearing helmets, Fanning said.

Vancouver cyclists are still safer than their European counterparts according to Jack Becker, a director with the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, which runs safe biking programs and supports the use of helmets.

"In Copenhagen, they're happy they have nine per cent of the people wearing helmets. In Paris, you see very few people wearing helmets," said Becker, who recently finished a tour of 10 European cities.