Most Manitobans leave their helmets at home: Statistics Canada

Warm temperatures are bringing people outside for a bike ride or to cruise on their skateboard, but according to new data from Statistics Canada in Manitoba they are more likely to leave their helmet at home.

The statistics released Friday show that over 50 per cent of people in the province reported never wearing a helmet.

The national average is just over 39 per cent.OnlyNunavutand Saskatchewan were higher than Manitoba.

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Whether or not a person straps on a helmet was also impacted by income, with 55.5 per cent of people making less than $20,000 per year never wore a helmet while it was only 33 per cent for people making over $80,000.The numbers also showed that women were more likely than men to always wear a helmet.

In 2013, legislation in Manitoba made it mandatory for cyclists and passengers under 18 to wear a helmet. Similar laws are in place in Ontario and Alberta while helmet use is mandatory for everyone in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

The data comefrom the 2013-14 Canadian Community Health Survey which asked Canadians 12 and older about their helmet use.