About Snowmobile Helmets

The snow is really coming down, carpeting the ground in a thick layer of the cold white stuff. You figure it may be time to finally try something that you've always wanted to do--snowmobiling! But don't forget the much-needed protector of that most vital part of your body: a snowmobile helmet.

History

Snowmobile helmets have been around since the first snowmobiles glided atop the glistening snow of Russia just after the turn of the 20th century.Though at the time, snowmobile helmets and Russian military helmets were one and the same thing. It wasn't until the 1960s that the snowmobile helmet, specifically made for operators of snowmobiles, came into existence in the United States. Since then, and especially from the 1970s onwards, snowmobile helmets have become more and more complex, as they are mass-produced and sold worldwide.

Function

Snowmobile helmets serve one overarching function: to protect the head from injury in case of an accident. Snowmobiles can achieve speeds of up to 180 miles per hour; it was therefore imperative that some form of protective headgear be developed. Since their entrance onto the world market, most snowmobile helmets have come to serve an additional purpose as well. The helmets also protect the eyes, via a see-through shield, from the bitter cold and wind.

Types

Snowmobile helmets come in many varieties. The one you choose depends entirely upon your own style, the conditions where you plan to snowmobile, and the depth of your wallet. Generally speaking, there are three types of snowmobile helmets: sno-cross, modular and full-face. Sno-cross, or off-road, snowmobile helmets look much like regular dirt-bike helmets, with a duck-bill visor, necessitating the additional use of goggles. Modular snowmobile helmets come with a front section that comes up in one single piece, usually via a button on the helmet's chin bar--favored by those who wear glasses. The full-face variety, probably the most popular type, covers the driver's head in its entirety, with a removable breath box (that helps reduce fogging on the front shield) and a flip-up shield in the front.

Features

Snowmobile helmets come with a wide range of features. For example, the shield can be double-paned (to protect from fogging) or "electric" (also meant to prevent fogging). The breath-box is an additional feature, associated with the full-face type, that is usually removable (and also designed to prevent fogging). Another feature to look for is some sort of ventilation system, created to channel heat and humidity from the front to the back and out (thereby, again, preventing fogging). Some helmets come with easily-removing insides, making for easy washing.

Benefits

The benefits of snowmobile helmets are many. First, in the case of an accident, whether a crash or simply an unintended stop that sends you, the driver, flying into a tree or a patch of rocky ground, the snowmobile helmet could save your life, preventing serious head injury. Additional benefits include the ability to drive the snowmobile in high wind or bitter cold without feeling the effects of said cold on one's face. Even during snowfall, thanks to the helmet one can drive and still see--without dealing with snowflakes being blasted into one's eyes. Finally, the helmet keeps the head warm.