Bike helmet law needs better enforcement, says MLA

Only three tickets have been issued since P.E.I.'s bicycle helmet law was passed six years ago, and Stratford-Kinlock MLA Cynthia Dunsford says that's because of lax enforcement.

Dunsford is an avid bike rider, with several helmets, and she says it seems most people aren't even aware there is a mandatory bike helmet law.

"My biggest concern is seeing a lot of children without their helmets on," Dunsford told CBC News Monday.

She believes that's because so few Islanders get ticketed — just three since the law was passed in 2003. Dunsford wants to see more enforcement of the law.

Charlottetown police Chief Paul Smith said the lack of tickets does not necessarily reflect officers ignoring the law. He said officers often give a warning rather than issue a ticket, but admitted they don't usually go out looking specifically for cyclists without helmets.

Transportation Minister Ron Mackinley said it's a difficult law for police to enforce. "If somebody's driving a bicycle down the sidewalks of Charlottetown and you're in a police car and you want to stop them, you're going to have a hard time catching them," he said.

Mackinley said the province is planning an ad campaign this summer that will include warnings about the dangers of not wearing a helmet.

Attorney General Gerard Greenan has put that issue on the agenda of the next meeting of the P.E.I. chiefs of police committee.

Dunsford hopes all the attention will lead to more cyclists strapping on a helmet.