Motorcycle Helmet Safety Facts
Motorcycle accidents are an epidemic in the United States. With the rising cost of fuel driving more Americans to the roads on fuel-efficient motorcycles, many for the first time, riders are being injured more often. Experience is only part of the equation, however. Many riders do not wear proper equipment, including a helmet.
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The Facts
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According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 103,000 motorcycle accidents occurred in 2007, an increase of 110 percent from 1998. The NHTSA also reports that 65 percent of motorcycle fatalities involved riders without helmets in states that did not mandate them. The average motorcycle rider is 37 times more likely to be involved in an accident, with head injuries the leading cause of death. The NHTSA also reports that the chance a rider will suffer a fatal head injury increases 40 percent when he is not wearing a helmet.
A Helmet in Action
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A motorcycle helmet functions primarily in two steps. First, the kinetic force of an impact is spread across the helmet's rigid outer shell. If the impact is severe enough, the outer shell will crack to absorb as much force as possible. Secondly, any remaining energy is transferred to the inner liner, which is normally constructed from polystyrene foam. The liner acts as a shock-absorbing cushion, soaking up kinetic energy before it reaches the rider's brain. A properly fitted and certified helmet can be up 69 percent effective in preventing serious brain trauma.
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DOT Certification
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Helmets approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation are required to pass several impact-related tests. Be sure that your helmet is DOT approved. States that mandate the use of a helmet on public roads require that it is DOT-certified. Helmets that do not have DOT approval, like most of the beanie-type helmets worn by cruiser riders, will most likely not protect you in the event of an accident. You also may be fined for not having properly certified equipment.
Snell Certification
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In 1956, a crash killed popular amateur race car driver William Snell, who suffered massive head injuries due to an ineffective helmet. Snell's legacy, the Snell Memorial Foundation, was created to promote research, education, testing and the development of higher standards to improve the effectiveness of helmets. Today, Snell certification is one of the highest standards for helmets. Although the Snell standard is strictly voluntary for helmet manufacturers, many submit their helmets for the M2000/M2005 standard testing. Testing includes a two-strike test onto a hemispherical 5-inch piece of stainless steel, simulating high- and low-power impacts.
Laws and Helmet Usage
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According to the NHTSA, laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets have increased helmet use, as a rider without a helmet is easily visible to law enforcement. Likewise, states that have repealed their helmet laws have seen helmet usage drop. In the first year of its repeal, motorcycle fatalities rose 31 percent in Texas. Kentucky, Louisiana and Arkansas had similar results, with fatality increases as high as 100 percent.
Misconceptions
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Many riders claim that helmets do not work, citing reduced vision, lack of the ability to hear past the helmet and neck injuries.
Helmets, especially full-face models, can prevent dust and road debris from causing eye injuries. Vision limitation is minimal; DOT-approved helmets must provide a 210-degree field of vision. Likewise, hearing is not impaired when wearing a helmet. Wind, engine and road noise are reduced, allowing a proportionate amount of sound to be heard by the wearer.
Experts from the University of Southern California studied 980 head and neck injuries resulting from motorcycle crashes and found that only four of the injuries could be attributed to a helmet. The study stated that all four injuries were minor.
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- Photo Credit Karpati
