Opinion: Girl’s death highlights flaw in helmet standards
By Meghan Hurley, The Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA — The death of an 11-year-old girl killed in a skiing accident highlights the need for Canada-wide standards for all sports helmets, an expert in the field says.
Nicole Wren, who attended The Stewart School in Perth, was killed at the Calabogie Peaks Resort last Thursday after crashing into a tree during her school’s annual ski trip.
Richard Kinar, a helmet expert, said hockey helmets have to meet criteria set by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to be sold in the country. No other type of helmet has to meet the standards, which means unsafe gear could be sold in Canadian stores.
“Some helmets don’t offer any more protection than putting a baseball cap on your head,” said Kinar, who works with the Brain Injury Association of Canada. “It should be criminal to go to a store and buy a helmet without safety standards.”
An autopsy has determined Wren died of severe head trauma.
OPP Const. Janice Sawbridge said Monday that an autopsy was carried out on Saturday. It determined that Nicole died of severe head trauma. Her death was ruled accidental.
Kinar said the government has turned its back on children’s health by refusing to pass a private members bill that would see standards set for all sports helmets.
Bill C-289 was first brought forward in 2007. The bill would amend the Hazardous Products Act so that helmets for skiing and snowboarding have to meet CSA standards.
“The helmet issue has become the canary in the coal mine because our politicians would rather treat children instead of investing in injury prevention programs,” Kinar said.
Police investigating the last week’s tragedy should examine Nicole’s helmet to see how old it is, if it was a hand-me-down or if it was bought used, Kinar said.
Although he stressed the importance of helmets, he admits there are limitations when children suffer a “catastrophic head injury,” as Nicole did.
“In fairness, accidents will happen,” said an Upper Canada School Board spokesman, Terry Simzer. “You do the best you can to protect them, but there isn’t a guarantee at the end of the day.”
In September 2009, the board was advised by its insurance company to provide helmets to all students on skiing trips. Simzer said the Calabogie Peaks Resort provided helmets to the students who didn’t bring their own last Thursday.
SOURCE: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Girl+death+highlights+flaw+helmet+standards/2539315/story.html
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