In his letter to the editor in the July 11 Pique, Dr. Thomas DeMarco argues that enforcing B.C.’s bicycle-helmet law is a “witch hunt” that diverts RCMP resources from “more important” offences such as speeding and impaired driving. He maintains that utilitarian cycling is already safer and healthier than driving, that motorists are the “primary threat,” and that mandatory helmets discourage people from riding.
Dr. DeMarco and I want the same thing: more people riding and fewer people getting hurt. Where we differ is in how we reach that destination.
Health benefits versus head-injury risk—yes, regular cycling confers strong cardiovascular and mental-health benefits. Those benefits are not cancelled because a rider straps on 250 grams of foam. What does undermine health is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Peer-reviewed Canadian evidence shows that wearing a properly fitted helmet cuts the risk of serious head injury by about 60 per cent and TBI by 53 per cent.
A national cost study found that cyclists who sustain TBIs without helmets burden the health-care system at nearly double the cost of helmeted riders. A $30 ticket—which converts to a discount and is voided on proof of purchase—is a modest investment against those human and fiscal losses.
Does helmet enforcement “kill” cycling? International meta-analyses show that all-ages helmet legislation reliably increases helmet use and reduces head-injury rates; impacts on overall ridership are mixed and generally modest. Even in jurisdictions with strict helmet laws, cycling volumes rebound once riders adapt. Meanwhile, severe head injuries fall sharply. Public policy can embrace two truths at once: cycling is healthy and helmets save brains when things go wrong.
Shared responsibility, not “windshield blame”—Dr. DeMarco frames motorists as the sole hazard and implies cyclists are innocent bystanders. The data—and a quick watch at Village Gate—say the picture is more nuanced. According to ICBC statistics, nearly four out of five cyclist crashes in B.C. happen at intersections.
Some are caused by drivers; others involve riders who roll red lights, ignore stop signs, ride the wrong way, or blast through pedestrian zones on high-speed e-bikes—behaviours our detachment fields complaints about every week. Pedestrians rightly fear a silent 30-km/h e-bike in a “no-cycle” zone as much as a distracted driver in a four-tonne SUV. Road safety is a shared duty: motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians must each respect the rules and one another’s space.
How our finite resources are actually used—road-safety enforcement is not a zero-sum game. Since January, Sea to Sky officers have issued 500-plus violation tickets for speeding, distracted driving, and other high-risk motor-vehicle offences, and we continue to remove impaired drivers from the road. Helmet checks account for a small fraction of our work and are timed for midsummer, when rider volumes, visitor numbers, and collision risk all peak. One patrol car can—and often does—stop an impaired driver, a texting motorist, and an un-helmeted cyclist in the same shift.
Enforcement, education and prevention in one step—our June 26 news release explains the campaign model. Enforcement: Officers issue a $30 ticket only after a verbal reminder fails; Education: The ticket itself lists the head-injury statistics above; Prevention: The ticket doubles as a coupon for a discounted helmet at seven local shops; return with a receipt and the ticket is cancelled. This partnership keeps riders on the road and court dockets clear.
Building safer streets together—helmets are not a substitute for better infrastructure. We continue to work with the Resort Municipality of Whistler on traffic-calming, upgraded lighting, and separated pathways, and our members deliver bike-safety sessions in local schools. Those capital projects take years and budgets; helmets protect heads today.
Community safety is a team sport. If residents have practical suggestions—whether for educational campaigns, engineering tweaks, or enforcement priorities—my door and inbox remain open. Constructive ideas move us all forward.
A ticket that morphs into a discount is hardly punitive; it is a practical nudge toward equipment proven to save lives and dollars. Let’s keep the debate rolling—but let’s keep the wheels, and the people on them, upright and uninjured while we do.
Sincerely,
