Motorcycle helmets are an absolute necessity for a motorcycle rider. They are a legal requirement because of the safety aspect.
However, they cost a bit, so you have to make sure that you purchase an effective helmet. Hence, you have to be sure that it has all the required features.
Let’s take a look at how effective they really are.
Quick Summary
By the end of this article, we will take a look at:
- What is meant by an ‘effective motorcycle helmet’?
- How effective motorcycle helmets really are?
- Important features of motorcycle helmets
Let’s go through it.
What Is Meant by an ‘Effective Motorcycle Helmet’?
For most motorcyclists, head injuries are very common and there are a number of cases where their deaths were caused by such injuries in motorcycle crashes.
This is where motorcycle helmets come in. Their main function is to protect your head from trauma and injury during any accidents.
However, it is important to understand how well they fulfill this function or how ‘effective’ they are in providing protection.
What factors make a helmet effective?
When we talk about motorcycle helmets being effective, we take into account how well they are made and how well they protect you in fatal crashes.
The effectiveness of the helmets is affected by some features such as their fitting, the durability, and build of the outer shell, how you wear it, etc.
How Effective Motorcycle Helmets Really Are?
In order to avoid getting any unwanted accidents or crashes, motorcycle helmets are there to ensure that you are safe.
However, no motorcycle helmet can completely protect you from all types of impacts. Sometimes an impact can be much stronger than the capability of the helmet.
This means that motorcycle helmets are not completely effective in crashes. Some form of injury is still possible, especially if you wear an open-face helmet.
Still, do motorcycle helmets work as they are intended to? The short answer is yes. Let’s take a look at some of the findings that back this up.
Decrease in Injuries and Deaths
With the use of motorcycle helmets, it has been seen that overall injuries and deaths caused by motorcycle crashes have reduced.
To be exact, motorcycle helmets have been found to reduce the percentage of deaths by 42% and injuries to the head by 69%.
A number of studies have been conducted in order to prove the effectiveness of motorcycle helmets. All of these studies have come to the same three conclusions.
Decreased Death Rate
First is that when compared with motorcyclists without helmets, the helmet-wearing riders had an overall decreased death rate. This is because the outer shells provide enough protection that the crashes are not fatal to motorcyclists.
Reduced Injuries
The second conclusion drawn is that when compared with the non-helmeted motorcyclists, helmeted motorcyclists had much more reduced instances of serious head injuries, which proves that the helmets increase the safety of the riders and protect them from any major harm.
Reduced Severity of Injuries
The third one is about the reduced severity of such injuries. As established before, there are still instances of injuries present. However, the severity of these injuries in helmeted motorcycle riders is much less.
Therefore, we can see that motorcycles are relatively effective in providing you protection. They function as a tool for safety when riding a motorcycle and they do just that by protecting you against any severe harm in a crash.
Important Features of Motorcycle Helmets
All the motorcycle helmets have some features that set them apart from any normal helmets. These features account for the effectiveness of the helmets.
So let us start taking a look at these features in order to understand how they contribute to the effectiveness.
Outer Shell
Starting with the most important, the outer shell contributes to how well the motorcyclist is protected in the case of any event.
The material used in the build of the motorcycle helmet will decide if it is strong enough to withstand the impact of the crash.
The shell also makes the helmet durable. If the helmet is durable enough, it will last even after hard impacts and make it long-lasting.
Fitting
The fitting of motorcycle helmets and accessories not only makes the rider comfortable wearing them, but it also accounts for ensuring protection for the motorcyclist.
A helmet that is well-fitted to the rider’s head keeps both the face and neck protected during any sort of collision as well as from the weather.
An ideal motorcycle helmet would neither be too tight nor too loose. This means that the helmet should be snug around the rider’s head without any pressure points.
Chin Strap
There is no point in a helmet that will not stay on your head during an accident. Chin straps play an important role in ensuring that they will.
Chin straps secure the helmet tightly to the wearer’s head and ensure that it will not come off accidentally during some sort of crash.
Thus, it is important to have a chin strap that works properly and isn’t loose. It will lessen the chances of any trauma to the head and provide satisfactory protection to the wearer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which type of helmet is the best?
As full-face helmets offer the most protection because they fully cover the motorcyclist’s head and face, they are the most effective helmets for the riders. They offer the most protection from any injuries to the head.
What is the lifespan of a motorcycle helmet?
The lifespan of a motorcycle helmet is five years according to the standards set by the industry. However, if it has been damaged from crashes and impacts, the lifespan might be lesser.
What is the best color for a helmet?
Research has shown that brighter colors, such as yellow, orange, etc. are much more visible to motorcyclists. Therefore, this would reduce the chances of any motorcycle accidents. Thus, colors like white will be much more effective in providing protection than colors like black.
How long should I keep a motorcycle helmet?
It is suggested that once a helmet has been worn for 40,000 to 50,000 miles, it should be changed. This is based on the assumption that an average rider’s mileage is between 6,000 to 8,000 miles.
Conclusion
In conclusion, motorcycle helmets are not entirely effective in providing protection to riders against impacts.
Even though that leaves a lot of room for ineffectiveness, the studies carried out have shown how much they matter. The helmets have functioned as they were intended to, that is to provide protection to the wearer.
Hence, it is important for motorcyclists to wear motorcycle helmets in order to avoid any major injuries or anything fatal to them. CLICK HERE for more.
