Tag Archives: Motorcycle

Motorcycle Helmets – How to Make Sure Your Motorcycle Helmet Fits You Properly

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The key to knowing your motorcycle helmet fits you properly is to make sure it feels snug and solid but not uncomfortable when you put it on.

If your helmet is loose, it could come off or twist around on your head in a serious crash. And wind flowing from underneath when you ride can force it up and strain your neck.

A tight helmet will pinch your ears and press against your forehead. It will cause headaches and distract you from your ride and from surrounding traffic.

When you try on helmets before you buy, remember these key points…

  • A helmet that fits you properly will require some force to put on. It may seem tight as it slides over your head because of the inside padding causing resistance.
  • If a helmet slides too easily over your head, it will not be snug enough to remain properly positioned or to prevent annoying wind noise from filling the helmet.
  • You will know a helmet fits properly when all of its interior padding makes solid contact with your head. A helmet will become uncomfortable and not protect you adequately if it only makes contact on the top of your head.
  • When you put on a full-face helmet, it should hold your cheeks and jaw firmly. It should make solid contact with the top and sides of your head. Many full-face helmets offer removable/interchangeable cheek pads. Different size pads can create the best helmet fit.
  • Your helmet should surround and “hug” your head with even pressure throughout. It shouldn’t create “hot spots” due to uneven pressure points. It should not press uncomfortably against your temples, forehead or cheeks.
  • The padding inside a helmet that is comfortably snug will compress and remain firm as it molds to your head.
  • A helmet with padding that creates a seal around your ears will block wind noise and protect your hearing. It will not block out important sounds such a voices or car horns.
  • Your helmet should not move when you shake your head forcefully up and down or from side-to-side.
  • Your nose or chin should not touch the faceshield.
  • A full-face helmet’s faceshield should seal the eye port.
  • A faceshield should move smoothly and easily and stay up when you raise it.
  • A faceshield should not distort your view — anywhere.

Do the “roll-ff” test to make sure a helmet will stay on when you need it

No helmet can protect you if will not stay on in an accident. So try this simple “roll-off” test before you buy or use a particular helmet. Pull on the helmet and snug down the chin strap. Grab the helmet’s rear edge where it contacts the back of your neck. Then try to lift and roll the helmet forward off your head. Give it a good tug, even if the pressure is uncomfortable. If the helmet slides forward and off, you know you should continue to look for one that stays on through this test.

Does the helmet you are considering give you the features you want most?

When you know a helmet fits comfortably and passes the “roll-off” test, see that it has all other features you want.

Such comfort features include…

  • Lots of snug padding around your head
  • A snug seal surrounding — but not touching — your ears
  • A thick, padded roll hugging the back of your head and neck
  • No protrusions poking or pressing against your head or face

One final test before you take it home…

  • Put on the helmet, tighten the chinstrap and keep it on for it for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Get used to how it feels and let it settle in.

After a while, if the helmet makes you uncomfortable by — for example — pressing against your forehead or the top of your head or pinching an ear, try cheek-pads that are sized differently. If that does not do the trick, let that particular helmet go. Continue the procedure with another “perfect prospect” until you find the one that satisfies you completely.

Motorcycle Accidents

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Motorcycle accidents cause many deaths and injuries each year. The rate of motorcycle accidents has increased over the years. Also, motorcycle accidents have a much higher chance of causing fatal consequences than any other automobile accident. Hence, it is necessary to understand the problem, find out what causes underlie it, and take proper measures to avoid it.

A report given by the National Highway Traffic Administration states that between 1975 and 1999, motorcycle accidents claimed 38,000 lives. Findings from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS, state that high alcohol levels were present in the blood of many motorcyclists who were fatally injured. Besides alcohol, it revealed that undivided roadways, rural roads, speed, lack of helmet use, and driving at night, among other factors, remain associated with the increasing number of fatalities today. Negligence on the part of the motorcyclist also leads to accidents or collisions. So does improper breaking or turning at corners of roads.

Dealing with the aftermath of an accident can be quite confusing and chaotic. Accident laws differ from one state to the other. For example, some states require actual ‘contact’ with another vehicle to enable us to claim from an uninsured policy. Such diversity makes it very difficult to know what to do in case of trouble.

Accident attorneys are the best people to turn to after an accident. Most of the attorneys provide free consultation and work on a contingency basis, which means that they only take a fee after an award has been rewarded in the case.

Accident attorneys specialize in such cases and have the specialized knowledge and experience to deal such situations effectively. They collect and record relevant information that can be useful later, and interview witnesses, deal with the insurance companies, and fill out essential forms, such as the car accident report form for the insurance company and accident report form for department of motor vehicles.

It’s indeed unfortunate that motorcycle accidents have increased over the years. Again, motorcyclists are more prone to die in accidents than those in motor cars. Knowledge and precaution on the part of all motorists and motorcyclists is a must for reducing the accidents and saving valuable lives.