ATV, Snowmobile, and Dirtbike riders may soon be forced to put on helmets when riding in Alberta.

Transportation Minister Brian Mason has introduced an amendment to the traffic safety act, that would make wearing a helmet while driving off highway vehicles the law.

Director of the Injury Prevention Centre at the University of Alberta Don Voaklander says Alberta averages 16 quad related deaths year.

"I think people are under the illusion that ATV's are safe modes of transport. They look safe, with their spongey tires, and they appear quite stable. But in reality they move at fast speeds at people use them on some pretty rugged terrain, and they're not as safe as they look."

Voaklander says 77 percent of people who died while opperating an ATV were not wearing a helmet, and our Province is one of the last Canadian jursidictions to implement a helmet law, so this ammendment is long overdue.

"We've been lagging behind for a while in this area, and bringing in this law will likely save between 3 and 5 lives a year in the Province. It will also reduce some of the severity of the trauma where people have ongoing health issues, and their families have to basically support and take care of them."

Farmers and Ranchers who use ATV's for work will not be forced to wear helmets