If you experience a bicycle accident, your broken bones and scrapes are sure to heal, but brain damage can be permanent. When riding a bike, your head is vulnerable to serious injury – even in a low-speed crash. You can protect your head and your future by wearing a helmet.
How Helmets Protect You
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) reports that during a fall or crash, a helmet absorbs much of the force of impact that would otherwise be directed to the head. Thick plastic foam (firm polystyrene) inside the hard outer shell of a helmet crushes to cushion the blow. A helmet should be replaced after a crash.
Each year, bike-related crashes kill approximately 900 people and injure 567,000 others. Although more people than ever are using bike helmets, only half of the more than 80 million bike riders wear them all the time; approximately 43 percent never use helmets. Wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85 percent.
Choosing a Helmet
Discount department stores and bicycle shops offer many models of helmets that are typically priced around $20 and above. Be sure to choose a helmet that meets the standards of the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Snell Memorial Foundation. Take some time trying on helmets and choose one with the right size and fit.
AAOS offers these tips for choosing a helmet:
• Snug – It does not slide from side-to-side or front-to-back.
• Level – It is square on top of your head, covering the top of the forehead. It does not tilt in any direction.
• Stable – The chinstrap keeps the helmet from rocking in any direction. Chinstraps should be replaced if any part of the buckle breaks; otherwise, a helmet may fly off in an accident.
Sources: AAOS, National Institutes of Health