Helmet Controversy in Alberta

Members of Alberta's Sikh community have opposed Alberta's new bicycle helmet law. They maintain that in order to comply their children must remove their turbans, which violates their religious freedom. The Canada Safety Council strongly endorses the Alberta government's stand that there should be no exemptions.

Bicycle helmets are critical safety equipment, not unlike seat-belts in vehicles. In 1989, a citizen of Alberta challenged the mandatory seat-belt legislation, claiming it infringed on his personal liberty. The court said that even if fundamental rights are infringed by the law, considerations of individual safety and costs to the health care system take precedence.