Should religion prevail over safety?

re. Watchdog backs motorcyclist in turban battle

I recall an ad for a recent movie about motorcyclists that contained a line something like "Do you know what we call motorcyclists who don't wear helmets? Organ donors!"

While I normally take the position that freedom of religion is not freedom to ignore the laws of the land, in this case we are talking about a "victimless crime" - if you ignore the man's family. Moreover, Sikh's have a long history of putting their beliefs above their personal safety in far more dangerous situations than riding a motorcycle.

They have served with distinction, for example, in many wars, wearing their turbans instead of a helmet. Many of them have paid the price for this. Even without our Human Rights Code, I believe that Sikhs have earned the right to wear their turbans anytime and anywhere they want.

Gary Dale