A fall or collision during a bike ride, motorcycle ride, or other high-impact activities often result to injuries ranging from minor bruising to severe injuries such as permanent brain damage or even death. As such, many countries worldwide enforced helmets on cyclists and motorists for their safety and protection.
Since ancient times, helmets have been used as an important part of a protective suit. Extreme changes in overall structure and outlook of the helmets has been through the years. Often times, motorists tend to avoid wearing these gears because they are seen as bothersome and inconvenient. On the other hand, others view helmets as unnecessary since they cannot stop or prevent an accident from happening. Though it is true that by wearing helmets an accident cannot be stop, nevertheless it can save a person's life during these inevitable happenings.
Statistics show that about one-fourth of the people involved in a fall or collision while riding a bike, motorcycle, or other high-impact activity who are brought in emergency rooms have head injuries and one out of every eight is reported to have incurred brain injuries-injuries which may have been prevented by wearing safety helmets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for example, estimated that approximately 1,158 lives were saved in 2003 because motorcyclists were wearing helmets. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, on the other hand, bicyclists not wearing bike helmets are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.
Helmets have four different kinds depending on where they are to be used. First among these are combat helmets. These are helmets used by the military for purposes ranging from head protection to gas masking and examples of these are PHG helmets and bone domes. Helmets worn by cyclists and motorcycle riders that are designed to withstand far greater impacts that normal accidents, on the other hand, are called two-wheeler helmets. Next are sports helmets. As the name suggests, these helmets are used for various sports activity and are designed depending on the demands of the sport where they are being used. Occupational helmets are also another kind of helmets. These are protective gears often used in construction areas and examples of these are hard hats, miners' helmets, and welders' helmet. Finally are emergency and protective troop helmets worn by policemen, firefighters, lifeguards, and SWAT teams-i.e., people who serve in emergency situations.
With the importance of helmets in saving people's lives, it is a must to keenly and wisely select the best helmet to use. The first thing to look for when shopping for a helmet, whether it is a bike helmet or a combat helmet, is its approval of safety. That can be ascertained by looking for a seal of approval from your countries' consumer product safety organizations such as the American National Standards Institute in the US. Then, it is a must to look for a helmet that fits snugly. Remember that the key to wearing a helmet is the right fitting and a loose helmet cannot protect the head as much as fitted ones. It is also important to think about visibility. The helmet shouldn't block the rider's vision and other motorists and cyclists should also see the rider.
In order to spare your life from fatal accidents from driving or other high-impact activities, wearing a helmet is necessary. By simply, wearing your helmets during cycling or doing high-impact activities, you are already protecting and saving yourself from the dangers of inevitable falls or collisions.
Since ancient times, helmets have been used as an important part of a protective suit. Extreme changes in overall structure and outlook of the helmets has been through the years. Often times, motorists tend to avoid wearing these gears because they are seen as bothersome and inconvenient. On the other hand, others view helmets as unnecessary since they cannot stop or prevent an accident from happening. Though it is true that by wearing helmets an accident cannot be stop, nevertheless it can save a person's life during these inevitable happenings.
Statistics show that about one-fourth of the people involved in a fall or collision while riding a bike, motorcycle, or other high-impact activity who are brought in emergency rooms have head injuries and one out of every eight is reported to have incurred brain injuries-injuries which may have been prevented by wearing safety helmets. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for example, estimated that approximately 1,158 lives were saved in 2003 because motorcyclists were wearing helmets. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, on the other hand, bicyclists not wearing bike helmets are 14 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than helmeted riders.
Helmets have four different kinds depending on where they are to be used. First among these are combat helmets. These are helmets used by the military for purposes ranging from head protection to gas masking and examples of these are PHG helmets and bone domes. Helmets worn by cyclists and motorcycle riders that are designed to withstand far greater impacts that normal accidents, on the other hand, are called two-wheeler helmets. Next are sports helmets. As the name suggests, these helmets are used for various sports activity and are designed depending on the demands of the sport where they are being used. Occupational helmets are also another kind of helmets. These are protective gears often used in construction areas and examples of these are hard hats, miners' helmets, and welders' helmet. Finally are emergency and protective troop helmets worn by policemen, firefighters, lifeguards, and SWAT teams-i.e., people who serve in emergency situations.
With the importance of helmets in saving people's lives, it is a must to keenly and wisely select the best helmet to use. The first thing to look for when shopping for a helmet, whether it is a bike helmet or a combat helmet, is its approval of safety. That can be ascertained by looking for a seal of approval from your countries' consumer product safety organizations such as the American National Standards Institute in the US. Then, it is a must to look for a helmet that fits snugly. Remember that the key to wearing a helmet is the right fitting and a loose helmet cannot protect the head as much as fitted ones. It is also important to think about visibility. The helmet shouldn't block the rider's vision and other motorists and cyclists should also see the rider.
In order to spare your life from fatal accidents from driving or other high-impact activities, wearing a helmet is necessary. By simply, wearing your helmets during cycling or doing high-impact activities, you are already protecting and saving yourself from the dangers of inevitable falls or collisions.
About the Author:
Zippo Mitchell is cyclist from Dallas, Texas. Before taking a ride on his bike, he makes sure that he is equipped with all the safety gears that would protect him in case of an unfortunate even during his bike ride. Among his biking gears are bike helmet, and gel gloves.