How to Choose the Safest Motorcycle Helmet
Colorado helmet law does not require motorcycle riders aged 18 or older to wear a motorcycle helmet. However, motorcycle helmets reduce your risk of head injury by about two-thirds (67%) and reduce your risk of death by about 37%. If you want to protect yourself from serious injury and death while riding, you should choose a safe motorcycle helmet.
Brian Pushchak is committed to ensuring all motorcycle accident victims get the compensation they deserve. However, he believes it’s better by far for you to avoid injury. Therefore, he recommends that you take the time to select the safest motorcycle helmet when you ride.
Understand Your Fit
The safest motorcycle helmet for you will be one that fits your head properly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends two measurements before shopping for motorcycle helmets.
First, determine the shape of your head. Helmets are designed to fit one of three shapes:
- Round oval
- Intermediate oval
- Long oval
Round oval heads are closer to circular, while long oval heads are more elongated front-to-back. To determine the shape of your head, use a mirror to look down at your head from above or have a friend look down on your head from above. This is not the same as the shape of your face. You might have a very oval face and a round head.
Second, measure the size of your head. Take a fabric tape and run it around your head. Start just above your eyebrows and, keeping it above your ears, run it around the thickest point in the rear of your head. This will give your head circumference in inches that you can then cross-reference with a helmet size chart.
Choose the Safest Style
In general, the safest style is a full-face motorcycle helmet. These aerodynamic helmets provide protection in the form of a wraparound helmet, visor, and chin bar. Chin bars are important because a significant number of impacts from motorcycle accidents strike the chin. This can break the jaw, causing permanent disfigurement as well as painful injuries that are slow to heal.
Some other style helmets might be relatively safe, but you want to have a chin bar. If your choice of helmet style doesn’t have a visor, you will have to wear goggles. While Colorado law doesn’t require a helmet, it does require eye protection.
In addition, choosing a color that adds to your visibility can make your helmet a little safer.
Check for Safety Certification
Before trying on a helmet, make sure it meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 218 requirements. It should have a sticker that shows it meets the standard.
Try Your Helmet On
You can’t be sure whether a helmet actually fits until you try it on. A helmet should feel equally secure and snug all around. It should not move when you shake your head or nod.
If a helmet moves when you shake your head, go to the next smaller size. If the helmet is uncomfortably tight, go up to the next larger size. If you feel more pressure on the front or back of your head, the helmet is likely too round for your head, so switch to a more oval style. If you feel pressure on the sides of your head, the helmet is too oval, and you should choose a more rounded helmet.
Wear a helmet for at least half an hour before you use it on a ride. This will help you get a better sense of the quality of fit.
Get Compensation for Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Denver
If you suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault, let Denver motorcycle accident attorney Brian Pushchak help you get compensation for your injuries. He is committed to working for the full amount of compensation you are entitled to by law.
Our unique Informed Decisions™ approach helps ensure you have the best experience from your motorcycle accident lawsuit. We take the time to listen to you, so we understand what’s most important to you. Then we’ll advise you on how best to pursue that outcome. However, the case will always be yours, and you remain in control.
We give you our personal contact information so you can reach us whenever you have questions or concerns about your lawsuit. We care about you and want to make sure you are always informed about the state of your case.
To learn more about getting compensation after a motorcycle accident in Denver, please call 303-372-6145 or contact Pushchak Law today to request a free initial consultation.
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