Everyone (but me) should wear a helmet

Ninety-seven percent of respondents to a recent poll either strongly agreed or agreed that serious injuries can be prevented by wearing a helmet during activities such as skateboarding, cycling, in-line skating and using scooters, and 95% strongly agreed or agreed that it is very important to wear a helmet at all times during these activities. However, adult Canadians' actual helmet use does not reflect these responses: only 35% of those who ride bicycles always wear a helmet while cycling, while 45% never do. Cyclists in British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces are most likely to wear helmets (61% and 56%), while those in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and in Quebec, are least likely (12% and 25%).

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Parents' use of helmets appears to affect children's use. Among parents who always wear a helmet when bicycling, 98% say their children always wear one. Seventy-five percent of parents who report that they never wear a helmet when biking stated that their children also never wear a helmet. Findings were similar for parents and children who in-line skate, skateboard and ride scooters.

Eighty-eight percent of respondents thought that public information and awareness campaigns would be very or somewhat effective in increasing the use of sports helmets. Eighty-one percent viewed safety courses and events as very or somewhat effective, and 77% thought government regulation would be very or somewhat effective in increasing helmet usage. The Ipsos-Reid poll involved interviews with 1000 Canadian adults. Results are considered accurate within ±3.1%, 19 times out of 20. — Shelley Martin, Senior Analyst, Research, Policy and Planning Directorate, CMA