Look Ma, No Helmet

The variety of Motorcycle Helmets available

 Written by JYNorflet 8/2/2010

There are some motorcycle organizations who advocate for the rights of motorcyclists who wish to NOT wear helmets while riding. These people and organizations feel that mandatory helmet laws infringe on their constitutional rights of freedom as Americans. The states which have enacted these laws make the case that if you choose not to wear a helmet, and end up injured, dead or even worst, a vegetable, you become a burden to the state. Which essentially means once your medical insurance coverage runs out (If you have coverage), the citizens of that state become responsible for paying your medical expenses for the remainder of your life.  I beleive this was the same rationale used by states in the 1980's to enact the mandatory seat belts laws.  There are currently 3 states which have absolutely NO helmet laws on the books.  This means that as you cross the border into the states of Illinois, Iowa or New Hampshire, you're free to remove your brain bucket and feel as free as a wild stallion. However, before you exercise your new found freedom, you should take a look around the web at some statistics.  By going to http://www.ntsb.gov/alerts/sa-012.pdf you will see the hard cold facts about riding without a helmet, such as.  Head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes, wearing a helmet will not make you invincible, but does reduce the overall risk of dying in a crash by 37%. Currently 20 states, D.C., and 4 territories require all riders and passengers to wear helmets. 27 states and territories have partial laws requiring minors and/or passengers to wear them. Typically, those over 17 are not required, providing they can produce proof of medical insurance coverage.  OK, that said, If you are in the market to purchase a helmet you should know the following. There are 1 of 2 common helmet standards that US helmet manufacturers are required to follow. The first one is D.O.T or the Department of transporation (US government organization) a mandatory minimum, The other is the SNELL foundation,  named for a race driver William "Pete" Snell. Though helmets which carry the DOT label set a tough standard for manufacturers, The Snell standard is the toughest. The DOT allows helmet makers to test there own helmts as long as they go by the specifications set by the DOT. Snell on the other hand gives makers the standards they should use, and then uses Snell's own independent labs to perform the tests. Snell uses the money it makes from licensing and certifying helmets to purchase equipment to test helmets and to purchase helmets which they destroy while performing their tests.  If you're planning to purchase a helmet keep in mind the most important aspect about a helmet, it's meant to save your head from being fractured. Make sure the helmet has a sticker or sewn in label (maybe both) showing DOT or Snell approval. The second most important aspect is to make sure it fits right, nice and snug and the buckling chin strap is the best that it can be. In many cases of cheap helmets, other than the helmet cracking, if your head hits the pavement, the chin strap breaks, which makes the helmet of no use, since it's no longer on your head. 

A few words of wisdom:

1. Don't cheap out on your helmet. Like many of those cheap toy German jobs.

2. Be careful about buying on the internet, especially since you can't try it on.

3. Make certain the Helmet has a tag or label saying it meets DOT or Snell standards

4. Never wear any colored shields or glasses other than smoked or polarized gray.

note: Colored eye gear changes the color of tail light lenses. Yellow or red becomes green.

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