As I write this article, I am thinking about the recent accident involving the star quarterback of the Pittsburg Steelers, “Big Ben” Roethlisberger. If he had been wearing a helmet, his injuries would not have been so serious.
For most cyclists, a helmet just doesn’t fit our perception of what it is to ride a bike, which is freedom! I mean, hey, it just doesn’t look good to be on a pig with that little sissy helmet. But, I think it looks a lot less cool to have your face full of scars from slipping down the road!
According to statistics, almost all crashes in which the rider was not wearing a helmet resulted in a major head injury. In a study of 900 accidents, there were 980 head and neck injuries, which seems to indicate that the passengers on many of these motorcycles were also not wearing helmets.
Our neighbors in northern Canada have now banned riding a motorcycle without a helmet due to the high percentage of fatalities in accidents in which the rider was not wearing. Of course, in the United States, like many other laws, it is left to the individual states to decide the ruling. I know that where I live in Florida they repealed the helmet law a few years ago and according to an EMT friend of mine, it has caused a dramatic increase in head injuries.
If you value your brain and your life, you have to be responsible enough to wear a helmet. Some of the factors that you should consider when buying a motorcycle helmet are below.
All motorcycle helmets consist of two main parts, an inner shell or liner that is made of foam that reduces impact, and an outer shell that is made to absorb the initial impact and protect your head, as well as to absorb all damage caused. On the road or others. hard object would have hit his head.
When purchasing a motorcycle helmet, you need to make sure that it has been approved by the Department of Transportation. If the helmet has been approved, it will have a sticker from the government agency indicating this. Another worldwide recognized sticker is that of the Snell Memorial Foundation.
Another thing that is very important is making sure that the motorcycle helmet you buy fits you. You need to make sure that it is not too loose or too tight. When you take it off there should be no marks on your face from the pressure of the helmet, if so the helmet is too tight.
You also need to make sure that it doesn’t move or come off easily. If you are in an accident and your helmet comes off on first impact, you may be bouncing off the road above your head.