John MacDonald: Compulsory helmets for skaters is a no-brainer

I’m right behind the call being made today for helmets to be made mandatory at recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. 

For it to be a legal requirement that if you want to go and have a skate with your mates, you have to wear a helmet. 

Because if it’s good enough for helmets to be compulsory on bikes, then why isn’t it good enough for helmets to be mandatory when someone’s on a set of skates? 

When you think about it, you are far more likely to ride a bike than go to an ice skating rink or a roller skating rink. Which, surely, means that skating is way more risky. So helmets have to be non-negotiable. 

In fact, I’d go beyond just ice skating rinks and roller skating rinks, I think we should be doing the same at the likes of ski fields and skate parks. 

But back to the tragic death of 13-year-old Kymani Hiley-Hetaraka during a school visit to the Alpine Ice Skating Rink in Christchurch 15 months ago. 

Her sister was also on the trip and the two of them were skating together when Kymani —who wasn’t wearing a helmet— fell and hit her head. 

She was, initially, able to speak and she asked her sister to get her some Panadol. But she then started having a seizure, was taken to hospital, and died two days later after being taken off life support. 

Since the tragedy the rink has voluntarily made helmets mandatory. But there is no law requiring it and Kymani's parents —Curtis Gwatkin and Maraea Hetaraka— think that needs to change. 

They’re saying today that they want the Government to make helmets mandatory at all recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. And I couldn’t agree more. 

They’re speaking out because, initially, they wanted to wait for WorkSafe to do its investigation, thinking that someone would be prosecuted. But that didn’t happen. 

WorkSafe found that there were no health and safety breaches by the ice-skating rink. No breaches by Kymani’s school. And no breaches by the external organisation contracted by the school to run the trip. 

But that’s not good enough as far as Curtis and Maraea are concerned. 

They say it’s left them feeling frustrated and angry, and who can blame them? 

They’re determined to keep fighting on this one and plan to start a petition to try and force the Government to make helmets mandatory at all ice skating and roller skating rinks. 

It’s a no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I got to say one hundred percent support the call
being made today for helmets to be made mandatory at
recreational ice skating and roller skating rinks. Are one hundred
percent for it to be a legal requirement that if
you want to go and have a skate with your mates,
you have to wear a helmet. Because if it's good

(00:34):
enough for helmets to be compulsory on bikes, then why
isn't it good enough for helmets to be mandatory or
compulsory when someone's on the seat of skates. In fact,
think about it this way. You are far more likely
to ride a bike than go ice skating or roller skating,
aren't you, Which surely means on that basis that skating

(00:55):
is way more risky, So helmets they've got to be
a non negotiable. In fact, I'd go beyond that. I'd
go beyond just ice skating rinks and roller skating rinks.
I reckon we should be doing the same with the
like of ski fields and skate parks. But before we
get to her ahead of ourselves, let's start with the
tragic death of thirteen year old Kimarane highly Heteraka during

(01:19):
the school visit to the Alpine ice skating rink in
christ Church fifteen months ago. You remember this. Her sister
was also on the trip and the two of them
were skating together when Krmarane, who wasn't wearing a helmet,
she fell and she hid her head and she was
initially able to speak, and she asked her sister to

(01:39):
get her some panda dolls. She also told her that
she loved her, but then she started having a seizure
and she was taken to hospital and she died two
days later after being taken off life support. Now, since
the tragedy fifteen months ago, the rink has voluntarily made

(02:00):
helmets mandatory, but there was no law requiring it, and
Krmianne's parents, Curtis Quatkin and Marie Hdaraka, they think that
needs to change. They're saying today that they want the
government to make helmets mandatory at all recreational ice skating
and roller skating rinks, and I could not agree more.

(02:25):
They're speaking out today because initially they wanted to wait
for Work Safe to do its investigation. They thought someone
will be prosecuted that didn't happen. Works they found that
there were no health and safety breaches by the ice
skating rink, no breaches by Carmane's school, and no breaches
by the organization, which was the external organization which was

(02:46):
contracted by the school to run the trip. So I said,
no one had done anything wrong because helmets aren't mandatory,
and that most skating rinks around the country recommend people
wear them, but they're not legally required to insist that
people wear helmets. So end of story. No not end
of story, not good enough. As far as Curtis Quatkin
and Maa Rhathuraka are concerned, especially with the coroner who

(03:09):
led the inquest into their daughter's death not making any
recommendations regarding helmets, saying, oh, that's the decision for the
government to make. So you combine all of that, and
they say that they have been left feeling frustrated and angry.
And who can't blame them or who can blame them?
I mean Commardes's mom saying today quote it's a slap

(03:31):
in the face. I feel like we've been ignored. They
can't just wash their hands of us. And as far
as I'm concerned. That's how we feel. They don't have
to deal with this for the rest of our lives.
We do, end of quote. And they're determined to keep
fighting on this one and they plan to start a
petition with the intention being forcing the government to make

(03:51):
helmets mandatory on all ice skating and roller skating rinks
in New Zealand, and good on them. If you're listening, guys,
good on you. You've got my backing one hundred percent.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
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