The Sikhs have been trying unsuccessfully for nearly a decade now to get the helmet laws changed to allow them to ride with only turbans instead of helmets.
It's never been successful although
there is another bill on the topic currently working it's way through the system.
The "there's enough fabric to protect your head" argument is laughable at best, stupid at worst.
Its also starting to become
an issue on construction sites where hard hats are mandatory.
Just like some of the states I don't have an issue with an adult choosing to be on the road without a helmet on. Private health insurance and eye protection is usually mandatory.
Except when we have socialized healthcare here, so when someone wrecks, smacks their head, and becomes a cabbage,
we all get to pay for a huge majority of the healthcare results. Insurance companies don't reimburse hospitals and general healthcare -
if you're lucky you'll get them to pay for long term after care, IE someone to change their diapers, etc, but when they get an infection because of bedsores and end up back in the hospital, well...it's you and I paying again, not insurance.
Unfortunately, with religious exceptions already having been made elsewhere in Canada for both hard hats and helmets I see it becoming a thing here sooner than later as well. Two things I think will result - a few crazies (Pastafarians were already mentioned) will try to use the law to enjoy the same exemptions from helmets, and eventually....a turban wearing motorcyclist or a someone on a construction site will get seriously hurt because their non-DOT approved turban didn't protect their noggin.
I'm all for religious tolerance, don't construe my comments as otherwise, but until such time that people who want these exemptions are willing and able to 100% exclude themselves from any and all socialized healthcare as a result of these choices, sorry...I can't support this, because it's going to be MY tax dollars who inevitably pay for that choice when something goes wrong.