Although American motorcyclists must brace themselves for a patchwork of different regulations as they drive from state to state, Canada's provinces are unified in their approach to motorcycle helmets, which makes a cross-country ride across the Great White North a lot easier to plan for -- just pack a helmet and hit the road. Universal Helmet LawsCanada's motorcycle helmet laws are easy to understand because they are uniform across all 10 provinces and three territories, as well as clear-cut: All riders on a motorcycle must wear crash helmets at all times. Regardless of any other variable such as age, passengers, speed at which the motorcycle travels, all riders in Canada must be protected by a helmet. Helmet ComplianceMotorcycle helmets must meet safety standards approved for use as an motorcycle helmet in Canada. Only helmets that meet CSA CAN3-D230-M85 standards may be worn in compliance with Canada's universal helmet laws. These are roughly equivalent to helmets certified by the U.S. Department of Transportation for sale in America.

SpeakersHelmets may be equipped with speakers, but motorcyclists may not play music through them. Speakers can only be used as part of a communication device to allow drivers and passengers to communicate with one another.R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 610: SAFETY HELMETS R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 610 Consolidation Period: From July 1, 2012 to the e-Laws currency date. This is the English version of a bilingual regulation. 1. A helmet worn by a person, (a) riding on or operating a motorcycle; (b) operating a motor assisted bicycle, on a highway shall, (c) have a hard, smooth outer shell lined with protective padding material or fitted with other energy absorbing material and shall be strongly attached to a strap designed to be fastened under the chin of the wearer; (d) be undamaged from use or misuse. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 610, s. 1. 2. The helmet referred to in section 1 shall conform to the requirements of the, (a) Canadian Standards Association Standard D230 Safety Helmets for Motorcycle Riders and shall bear the monogram of the Canadian Standards Association Testing Laboratories;

(b) Snell Memorial Foundation and shall have affixed thereto the certificate of the Snell Memorial Foundation; (c) British Standards Institute and shall have affixed thereto the certificate of the British Standards Institute; (d) United States of America Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 and shall bear the symbol DOT constituting the manufacturer’s certification of compliance with the standard; (e) United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No. 22, “Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Protective Helmets and of Their Visors for Drivers and Passengers of Motor Cycles and Mopeds”, and shall have affixed thereto the required international approval mark. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 610, s. 2; O. Reg. 102/12, s. 1. 3. A helmet worn by a person operating or riding a bicycle on a highway shall, (a) have a smooth outer surface, be constructed so that the helmet is capable of absorbing energy on impact and be strongly attached to a strap designed to be fastened under the chin of the wearer;

(b) be undamaged from use or misuse. O. Reg. 411/95, s. 1.The helmet referred to in section 3 shall conform to the requirements of one or more of the following standards: 1. Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA D113.2-M89 (Cycling Helmets). 2. Snell Memorial Foundation B-95 (1995 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use with Bicycles). 3. Snell Memorial Foundation B-90 (1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling). 4. Snell Memorial Foundation B-90S (1994 Supplementary Standard for Protective Headgear for Use with Bicycles).moto bike store catania 5. American National Standards Institute ANSI Z90.4-1984 (American National Standard for Protective Headgear for Bicyclists).motorcycles for sale in gulfport 6. American Society for Testing and Materials ASTM F1447-94 (Standard Specification for Protective Headgear Used in Bicycling).motorbike shop launceston

7. British Standards Institute BS 6863:1989 (British Standard Specification for Pedal Cyclists’ Helmets). 8. Standards Association of Australia AS 2063.2-1990 (Part 2: Helmets for Pedal Cyclists). 9. Snell Memorial Foundation N-94 (1994 Standard for Protective Headgear: for Use in Non-Motorized Sports). 10. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 16 CFR Part 1203 Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets. O. Reg. 411/95, s. 1; bmw motorcycle parts southamptonO. Reg. 38/03, s. 1 (1).atv for sale bloomington in (2) The helmet shall bear the mark of the standards authority or the mark of the manufacturer showing that the helmet meets the prescribed standard. motorcycles for sale okinawa

(3) A reference to a standard in subsection (1) includes any amendments made to the standard, whether made before or after February 11, 2003. O. Reg. 38/03, s. 1 (2). 5. A person who is 18 years old or older is not required to comply with subsection 104 (2.1) of the Act. This archived article is from October 2005. Although every effort has been made to make sure the information presented is accurate, please note that it may contain information that is out-of-date. Whether it’s the law or not, take training and always wear a helmet. It is not possible to know for sure how many collisions, deaths and injuries a specific regulation has prevented. Nonetheless, once safety legislation is in place, its effectiveness should be evaluated. Evaluation may confirm the legislation is working. It may suggest what needs to be done to improve compliance. Or, it may reveal no impact on safety. The worst way to assess the impact of a safety regulation is to withdraw it and then count the subsequent fatalities.

Quebec implemented mandatory training for motorcycle riders in 1985, then removed the requirement in 1997. Motorcycle fatalities immediately increased by 46 percent in 1998, from 35 to 57. The death toll rose by a further six percent in 1999. Ontario and Quebec share similar motorcycle riding environments, and most new Ontario riders take the Canada Safety Council’s motorcycle training program. While Quebec casualties rose after the province dropped its training requirement, Ontario trends remained stable. This pointed to training as the key variable. The province responded by re-introducing mandatory training in 2000. Currently, Quebec and Manitoba have mandatory rider training. Other provinces, including Ontario, encourage training through licensing and insurance incentives. Mandatory helmet laws for motorcycle riders came into effect in Canada starting in the 1960s. Safety experts strongly believe these regulations are an important factor in our country’s impressive record in motorcycle safety.

Canadians who travel in the U.S. may wonder why Canadian jurisdictions do not follow the lead of several American states which have repealed their all-rider helmet laws. In 2000, Florida repealed its legal requirement for all motorcyclists to wear protective helmets. Helmet use is now mandatory only for riders under age 21 and older riders without at least $10,000 medical insurance. A 2005 evaluationcompares the three years before and after the repeal. It offers a thorough evaluation, and provides solid evidence on the value of universal helmet laws. Neighbouring Georgia, a state with similar conditions and an active helmet law, served as a control. Predictably, fatalities and medical costs increased significantly. The Florida findings are consistent with the results of comparable repeals in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Texas. All showed substantial increases in fatalities following the repeal. Will Florida and these other states re-institute their all-rider helmet laws in the face of the evidence, as Quebec re-instituted its training regulation?