Wearing a helmet while participating in activities like bicycle riding or motorcycle riding can drastically lessen the chance of suffering a serious brain injury. All too often, people taking part in these activities are seriously injured because they chose not to wear a helmet.
Motorcycle helmets and bike helmets lessen the impact of hard surfaces that hit the head during a bike or motorcycle accident. Helmets are designed to compress when struck, which decreases the severity of the impact by absorbing and dispersing force.
Helmets are constructed out of three main parts: the shell, liner, and interior. The shell is usually a hard plastic, designed to skid, prevent neck injuries, and deflect penetrating objects. The liner is the hard foam part of the helmet that compresses and takes most of the force in an impact. The interior is the soft padding that is designed to provide comfort and fit.
Of the thousands of deaths that occur each year from bicycling and motorcycle riding, more than 75% of fatalities and more than 85% of all bike-related injuries can be prevented if riders wear helmets. Bike helmets and motorcycle helmets can prevent life changing head injuries.
Even with statistics showing that people who wear helmets are much less likely to suffer serious head injuries, many individuals choose not to protect themselves. There are many reasons children and other bicycle riders or motorcycle riders refuse to wear helmets. Some of the most common reasons are:
- Helmets Aren’t Attractive – Although helmets may not be the most fashionable piece of equipment, they aren’t meant to look good. Bike helmets are designed to keep you from suffering from serious injury.
- Helmets Aren’t Comfortable – In the past, helmets may not have been very comfortable to wear, but with new lightweight materials, softer interiors, and better ventilation, helmets can be just as comfortable as any other piece of headwear.
- I’ve Never Worn a Helmet – People can go months or years without ever experiencing a serious bicycle accident, but even the smallest accident can result in permanent disability. Helmets are a precaution that should be taken to prevent you from suffering injury in the small chance that you are involved in a bike accident.
- Nobody Else Wears Helmets – Helmets only protect the people wearing them. If you want to prevent the effects of serious injury, you should wear a helmet.
- I Don’t Want People to See Me With a Helmet – One of the biggest advantages of helmets, besides the protection they provide, is making the bicycle or motorcycle rider conspicuous. People are killed every year because other vehicle driver’s hit bicyclists and motorcyclists they didn’t see. Helmets that are white or bight colored can make you more visible, lessening the chance of being hit by a car or truck.
If you or your loved one enjoys participating in motorcycle or bike riding, it is important that they wear a helmet. No matter how skilled a rider they may be, helmets protect the head from serious injury.
If you or someone you know has suffered traumatic brain injury, please contact a personal injury lawyer.
Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
- Atlanta Georgia Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Laurie Robbins
