People off-roading this weekend have new laws concerning helmets and seat belts to contend with, but some who use ATVs and the like are exempt—and that concerns interest groups.

Hunters who use off-road machines do not have to strap on a helmet when driving less than 20 km/h but Avalon T’Railways is concerned about that. President Rick Noseworthy says they applied the same exemption in Ontario but ended up repealing it later. He says, if anything, hunters are more distracted when on an ATV than others who have no interest in bagging an animal.

He and a friend were out in the backcountry hunting when his friend’s ATV tipped back. The man ended up with a big gash on his helmet. Had he not been wearing one, things would have turned out differently.