Alberta doctors "walk the walk" on preventing injuries

Date: July 19, 1999
Time: 2:03 pm

"This is a government that talks wherever possible about injury prevention, health promotion and wellness," AMA president Dr. Rowland Nichol told Alberta Minister of Infrastructure Ed Stelmach in a recent letter. "The doctors of Alberta suggest that it's time to walk the talk when it comes to a philosophy and vision of healthy Albertans by making it illegal to convey passengers in pickup truck boxes or to ride a bicycle without a helmet."

The Alberta Legislature recently passed new legislation dealing with traffic safety, but the issues of mandatory bicycle helmets and pickup passengers were not dealt with specifically. "Bill 24 [Traffic Safety Act] gave the hope that the Alberta government would enact provisions to protect Albertans from preventable injury or death," says Nichol. "Therefore, it was disappointing that the bill left both the pickup truck and bicycle helmet issues for discussion under regulations at the municipal or regional levels."

Stelmach has said that he will review the new legislation, but the AMA isn't holding its breath. It does not expect any government action until fall at the earliest.

Send a letter to the editor Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction