| As I am writing this article I am thinking of the recent | | | | If you value your brain and your life you should be |
| accident involving the Pittsburg Steelers star | | | | responsible enough to wear a helmet. Some of the |
| quarterback, "Big Ben" Roethlisberger. If he had been | | | | factors that you should consider when buying a |
| wearing a helmet his injuries would not have been | | | | motorcycle helmet are below. |
| nearly as severe. | | | | All motorcycle helmets consist of two main parts, an |
| For most of us bikers a helmet just doesn't fit our | | | | inner shell or liner which is made of impact reducing |
| perception of what biking is all about, which is | | | | foam and an outer shell which is made to absorb the |
| freedom! I mean, hey it just doesn't look cool to be | | | | initial impact and protect your head as well as take all |
| on a hog with that little sissy helmet. But, I think it | | | | of the damage that the road or other hard object |
| looks way less cool to have your face all scarred up | | | | would have done to your head. |
| from sliding on it down the road! | | | | When buying a motorcycle helmet you should be |
| According to statistics almost every crash where the | | | | sure that it has been approved by the Department |
| rider wasn't wearing a helmet resulted in a major | | | | of Transportation. If the helmet has been approved |
| head injury. In one study out of 900 crashes there | | | | it will have a sticker from the government agency |
| were 980 head and neck injuries which seems to | | | | stating so. Another sticker that is recognized all over |
| indicate that the passengers on many of these | | | | the world is from the Snell Memorial Foundation. |
| motorcycles were not wearing helmets either. | | | | Another thing that is hugely important is making sure |
| Our neighbors to the north in Canada have now | | | | that the motorcycle helmet you buy fits properly. |
| made it illegal to ride a motorcycle without a helmet | | | | You need to make sure that it doesn't fit too loose |
| due to the large percentage of fatalities in accidents | | | | or too tight. When you take it off there should be no |
| in which the rider was not wearing one. Of course in | | | | marks on your face from the pressure of the |
| the United States, like many other laws it is left up | | | | helmet, if so the helmet is too tight. |
| to the individual states to decide the ruling. I know | | | | You also want to be sure that it doesn't wobble |
| where I live in Florida they repealed the helmet law a | | | | around or come off easily. If you are in an accident |
| few years ago and according to an EMT buddy of | | | | and the helmet comes off at first impact you may |
| mine it has caused a dramatic increase in head | | | | be bouncing down the road on your head! |
| injuries. | | | | |