_aw undermines free

Dear Editor:

Re: Jim Cave’s letter, “Bike
helmet helped spare cyclist’s
head” (Sept. 8 North Shore
News).

_. As one who is oppased to
the new bicycle helmet law, I
would like to offer a response
to Jirn Cave’s letter to the edi-
tor in which he claimed that

the helmet he was. wearing |

when he fell from his bike
saved him froma much more
‘serious injury.
ie Certainly the accompany-
ng photograph of Mr. Cave’s
badly scraped face is evidence
fa very nasty spill, and [am
sincerely hopeful thar his
ajuries heal rapidly.
‘However, the issue here is
not whether wearing a helmet
fis a sensible, prudent thing to
‘do while’ riding a bicycle —
éspecially when. one rides in
‘ traffic or races down a
tain ‘ trail."The. question
ally. necessary for the

vermment -t0. create. a ‘law.

mandating compulsory helmet
use?

Those who answer yes
invariably point our what is
usually anecdotal “evidence
indicating the inherent dangers
of riding without a helmet,
while any meaningful statistics
on cycling injuries are suspi-
ciously absent from the debate.

Oh, sure, the government
tells us that something like 10
cyclists a year are killed in B.C.,
and that the helmet faw is
needed to prevent costly head
injuries. But no useful compar-
ative statistics are offered. For
example, what is the percent-
age, or likelihood, of the aver-
aye cyclist receiving a serious
injury compared with, say, the
average. skier, in-line skater or

‘skate boarder?

And if we are really so con-
cerned about the cost of head
injuries to our health care sys-
tem, shouldn’t there also be a

helmet law for everyone travel-

ing by. car? Following this

logic, we should also consider
laws limiting all kinds of risk-
taking behavior, including
punitive measures against
those who choose unheaithy
lifestyles by smoking, drinking,
or eating fatty foods.

The path to government
over-regulation and_ infringe-
ment on personal responsibility
is a very slippery slope.

Mr. Cave’s comparison of
the opposition to the helmet
law to that of seat belt detrac-
tors from the past is not even
relevant. The evidence that
seat belts save lives and reduce
costly injuries is overwhelming.
In the absence of any hard data
on cycling injuries and their
resulting cost, we are left to
base our opinions on our own
experience.

In my case, 1] years ago I
became a quadriplegic — para-
lyzed from the chest down —
after breaking my neck in an

‘off-road motorcycle accident

(yes, I was wearing a helmet).

run over by ‘inconsiderate ass’

cading west. from Dundarave this after-

I was caught ina convoy’of cars led by a
. Corolla that considered 45 km/h: the:.-
inaximim speed for Marine Drive. -Even at that °

very: downhill and: corner. required

“bit not when:a raccoon tried to cross’
rt d

ale, The Corolla didn’t slow down

cted, so although | have
toad gil of the letters and notes

panied: the survays,: it Is:

tc reply.in writing to
‘In Heu ‘of a. personal

:

ty
the’ input will: be of great
.In finalizing our election
1) Cne question though, which
{coat with: the: possibility of. separate
:, preduced such intereating results

7 that | decid | to print those results in this

Epublic report. 7
“A: DEAD HEAT

It felt like referandum night all over again

@ began tallying the responses to the

question, ‘bul: the. patiern was set

the. first 200 surveys and ‘had not

‘more than 0.5% either way by the

500 sheets had been examined. Since

we have taken random samplings of the

y-sheets as they arrived in the mail,

hout being able to detect any significant

riance trom the percentages set by the first

200. Apparently 49.1%: of respondents fee!

“Quebec separation is now either

ible,:or very likely, white 50.9% beliave

t is uniikely, o7 will never happen. This is

st identical to the result- from ~ last

ober's raterendurs in Quebéc. Perhaps BC

mmon with Quebec than we

as -clear which way the results
I took the, time to call more than

90 ! ne |
people who had answered "NEVER" in»

get an idea of their reasons for feeling
hat Way, Almost all: of them indicaied it was
because : they. Wwere.sure that Quebec was

ing, just as‘it had been doing for as tong,

fas: they ‘could ‘remember. When | called a
sampling of the people who had indicated that

before it hit the poor creature, and it didn’t
stop afterwards. It just carried on at 45 klicks
as if nothing had happened. ;

Of all the bad drivers I have witnessed, this

inconsiderate ass is by far the worst, and if you

print this I hope he reads it.
Denis Mason
West Vancouver

separate Quebec.

_. The 50/50 result obtained from my
question. ‘on Quebec ~ separation
encouraged me to see If 1 could arrange a

_public. meeting in North Vancouver to

diacuss the separation issue directly with a

_ Bloc PP, Not many of the Bloc MPs speak
’ English, but there ls ¢ good chance that

English speaking Michel Gulmond will be
able to come to the North Shore on.
October 16th or 17th. | will confirm the =
date, and provide more information about
the format for the meeting, in a future

report. /
FLAGS UPDATE
~ During my time as an MP | have had the |
opportunity to speak with, and question, a {|
number of separatists, both MPs and non- f
MPs, about thelr goals and aspirations. | have]

‘maver yet met ONE who would become a — .

federalist simply because he or she saw more |
Canadian flags flying. In fact, based on the
feelings | have heard expressed by these
separatists, it is quite possible that the Sheila
Copps ‘free" flag program will greatly irritate |
them, and will harden their resolve to |
separate. In other words, Sheila may even be
INCREASING the chances of separation with |
her extravagant spending of your tax dollars.
It is costing the taxpayers at least $18
miltion for the one million Copps “free” flags. §
To date; 540,000 flags have been requested, |
although the fatest ‘available figures indicate }
that ‘only 45,000 have been requasted by,
Quebecers. | can't help but feel that the $18 j
million would have been better spent on fish
hatcheries or medicare, that's if we had the
money to spare in the first, place. It also
bothers me that Sheila has seen fit to put the
Government in competition with privately run
flag shops, the owners of which have created |
jobs, and support their farnities, through sales
of Canadiana. {'m giving the whole program a
thumbs down. ; :

aie Ae ern me EI, DOOM SS AN RH ENS Nite iy At

choice
In my subsequent year-long
stay in the hospital and rehabil-
itation centre, I personally saw
the results of hundreds of dev-
astating head and spinal cord
injuries,

Although I was not con:
ducting a study at the time, I
only recall one cycling-related
injury among them: a compet-
itive cyclist who broke his back
when struck by a car.

There was, however, never
a shortage of injuries caused by
diving inte shallow water, ski-
ing, and, of course, motorcycle
and car accidents,

So why do I care so much?
Obviously, due to ry disability

FREE Hearing

I am no fonger able to ride a
bicycle, so the new helmet law
does not affect me in the least.

Well, perhaps | just sub-
scribe to that rather outdated
notion that every law the gov-
ernment creates to protect us
from ourselves is really just one
more limit to our personal
freedom and the right to make
our own decisions.

In my opinion, riding a
bicycle always has been and
always will be an. extremely
safe, enjoyable activity and use-
ful mode of transportation.

And I am glad that cyclist
Jim Cave has made the choice
to wear a helmet — because
after all, choice is what democ-
racy and personal freedom are
all about.

Brian Platts
North Vancouver

SaaS:

Tests

Set For Senior Citizens

g (North Shore) Hearing
B tests will be given at the
& Beltone Hearing Aid
a Centre in Vancouver on
g Monday to Friday from
§ 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
B Anyone who has
# trouble hearing is
f waicome to have the
f test. Many people with

hearing probiems: don't

a need hearing aids.But .

‘only a modern hearing

i test like the one ‘being,
B offered by Beltone can.

A really tell for sure.

Everyone should have ©

# a hearing test at least

PVER

once a year — even ft
people now wearing a |
hearing aid or those §

who have’ been ‘told f°

nothing can be done for. j

them. Only a. hearing §
test can determine if}:
‘modern methods of }

amplification can help §
them hear better. Z
The hearing tests: will

‘be’ given - Monday. tog
Friday from 10:00 aim.
to 4:00 p.m.:in- North

Vancouver. In. home’

_ tésting is also available

¥

A

Better Hearing Through
Professional Care

Call: 988-4477
 #217-1940 Lonsdale

‘Next to London Drug
—

due Hear Ae Act BC, E

In celebration of
the opening of the 8th store
All locations are

offering

Natural Factors

Vitamin E
on Sale Only

$98

60 caps.
Reg. °9.40

While quantites last

’- Explore Personal

Safety Through a

Power Piay

During several short plays,
the audience will have
the opportunity to
intervene to suggest
solutions which can
restore balance to a
relationship or situation.
Everyone in the theatre
will be able to explore,
empower and educate
themselves through an

‘entertaining and creative

lanoxige. Safe? will rake
place on Sept. 23, 24 and
25 at 12:30 pam. and on
Sept.. 26, 27 and 28 at 8
p.m. in R building, room
105. Aclmnission is by
donation.

> Are You Raving

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late! Courses start next“
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What is Ayurveda?

Find out more about this. 2].

ancient science of health

andhealing andthe =, |

techniques it uses to
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wellness, at an
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"Friday, September 20,

from 7 to 10 p.m. ($25).

’ A one-day workshop

follows on Satunday,
September 21 ($100
including Friday's lecture
and lunch). Call

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