A Canadian lawmaker on Thursday said the government was "irresponsible" for not mandating newer standards for safety helmets on ski slopes after several injuries and deaths, including actress Natasha Richardson.
"The recent serious brain injuries on Canada's ski slopes are tragic reminders that these brain injuries are preventable," opposition MP Hedy Fry said in a statement.
The government's "inexplicable failure" to consider a bill she introduced in March 2007 that would require helmets for recreational alpine skiing sold in Canada meet new standards developed by the Canadian Standards Association "is nothing short of irresponsible," she said.
She noted that while standards for hockey helmets are regulated in Canada, helmets for alpine skiing are not.
The bill has languished in parliamentary procedures since it was unveiled, said an aide.
Richardson, 45, died on Wednesday from head trauma after tumbling at a Quebec resort two days earlier, during ski lessons on a beginners' slope.
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Canadian MP calls for ski safety helmet standards
Canadian MP calls for ski safety helmet standards
