Motorcycle Helmets are considered
as the main security gear that can protect a motorcycle rider from getting
serious head injury. So it is very important to use only the secure type of motorcycle
helmets. Most of the road accident deaths occur due to not wearing motorcycle
helmet. During 2008-2010, 6,057 out of 14,283 deaths occurred due to not using
motorcycle helmet. On the other hand according to Traffic Safety Facts 2010,
40.7 % of the total motorcycle deaths in 2010 occurred due to not wearing a
safety helmet during the ride. So it is very crucial for a motorcycle rider to
wear a secure motorcycle helmet during traveling on his/her motorcycle. There
is now made Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) which describes the
necessary features of a secure motorcycle helmet to provide the required
security to the head of the rider. US Department of Transportation (DOT)
applies this FMVSS 218 standard to control the number of deaths of motorcyclists
due to not wearing motorcycle helmets.
Following are given some of the
essential features that should be present in a secure motorcycle helmet:
1)
Contain
Thick Polythene Lining:
It is useless to wear a
motorcycle helmet having thin inner soft lining. Your motorcycle helmet should
contain a thick polythene inner lining. This thick lining protects the head
from getting dangerous bounces in case of a road accident.
2)
Provide
Face Shield:
The motorcycle helmet should be
provided with face shield so that the rider could not get face injuries in case
of any calamity.
3)
Contain
Chin Straps and Rivets:
Motorcycle Helmets should contain
the chin straps along with strongly attached rivets. It helps in having a
strong grip of the helmet on the head of the rider.
4)
Have
the DOT sticker on them:
Motorcycle helmets having DOT
stickers on them are considered to be the standard motorcycle helmets that provide
full protection to rider’s head.
5)
Weight
of the Helmet:
If your motorcycle helmet is
having a weight of only one or two pounds then it would not be considered as a
safe motorcycle helmet. The standard weight for these motorcycle helmets is not
less than 3 pounds.
6)
Manufacturer
Information:
All the manufacturers are
required to provide a label inside the helmet on which the complete info about
the helmet is mentioned. The helmets which are up to the Federal Security
Standard contain these labels on the inner side.
All in all the features of the
motorcycle helmet should be such that meet the federal Security Standards.
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