Helmet Guide - The Life Savior

We daily observe a number of road accidents on the Indian roads through the newspaper, media and in some cases, even by our live eyes. And the disastrous fact is that, the major contribution of the damage caused to the rider is led by the head injuries. A majority of the Indian riders consider the helmets a painful burden to carry on their head. And though it’s one of the musts for a rider while riding, even mentioned broadly in our Indian books of law, the riders here happily avoid them. And when such mishaps happen, they simply pass the blame to their destiny and the system. Helmets are one of the most important riding gears which a rider should possess by any means. But many of us simply buy a helmet to taste our formalities. Is that enough? Here’s some vital information which will help you to firm out your decision of buying a perfect helmet, according to your requirements and need:-

Is wearing a helmet that necessary?

Off course, it is! There is no quest hidden behind that. Normally, either it’s a small collision or a severe crash, if your luck is not good enough, even the “best” of the lid can’t assure you the safest assurance. It cannot be guaranteed that a helmet will definitely be able to pull you out off the cliff of serious injuries. But then the question arises again, why wearing a helmet is that necessary? Well, there are a number of points in support of that:-

• Protect your face and head in the best possible way, with minimal injuries.

• Maintains a zone of warmth inside.

• Armor your head and face from the flying objects, such as insects, stones and dust.

• Protects you from stinging raindrops, while riding at speed during monsoons

• Maintains your focus point on the road ahead, while riding.

• Reduce the distraction of the surroundings and the noises around.

• Increases your visibility factor for other drivers on road.

Structure of a motorcycle helmet: which components protect you how?

There are four major constituents of a helmet which act together to ensure you the maximum possible protection and comfort, which are:-

• Outer Shell – The outer shell of a helmet is basically a thin layered outer structure, which is hard in built. This outer shell is normally made up of strong fiberglass composites and lightweight components of plastics. Some of the present day helmets are even made up advanced materials like carbon fiber and Kevlar.

• Crushable lining – Beneath this hard outer shell, a soft layer of expanded polystyrene (EPS) is present. The function of this light-weighted crushable protection is to provide ample absorption of the impact caused when the helmet is faced to an external force.

• Padded comfort lining – This is the padded layer of protection present inside the helmet, which assures you the best comfortable fit of your head inside the helmet. This may be a cushion of foam or sponge, which lets you feel comfortable with maximum absorption of sweat. The advantage of this lining is that it can be easily detached and washed, when it becomes filthy.

• Chin strap – This is the band or strap which fits and locks up your helmet with your head, so that your helmet stays at its place and doesn’t loosen up. It has D-rings or a clamp which fits into the lock, removable with a soft action of your thumb.

Types of helmets to choose from:-

While looking out for a motorcycle helmet, the most important priorities which should ensure your buy are the best possible protection and comfort. The priorities may be many, ranging from your riding conditions, physical built of your head and its shape, type of riding, the number of kilometers you clock every day, the conditions of weather and so on. Depending upon the perfect combination of all these priorities amalgamated into a single requirement, you should zero up your helmet choice. The commonly available four kinds of helmets, depending upon their shape and structure, are:-

• Full face helmets – This is considered to be the safest helmet because it completely covers up your face and head, with minimum gap left behind. Within this helmet, you are able to see the road and surroundings through the wrap-around screen, which is either a transparent or tinted acrylic visor. This wide spread screen ensures you a whole peripheral vision. The visor can be lifted up completely or partially for some ventilation. The complete covering of your head also ensures you the maximum holding and minimum road and wind noise. For some, these helmets may not be the numero uno choice, as the added weight may cause neck fatigue for them. Here are a few points, which should be considered while buying a full face helmet:-

• Easy to remove/attach faceshield – The attachments and operations of various helmets differ in operation. Look out for the best one which is the easiest to operate.

• High and wide eye port – The eye port attached to the liner section of some helmets provide you a higher opening as compared to the other ones. This feature makes the riding experience easy for sport riders, who wish to have a higher opening, which is an advantage for the compromise made on lower handlebars.

• Removable and washable liner sections of the helmet – The inner liner sections should be easy to remove, clean and fit them again in their original position.

• Space for sunglasses – Whether you wear your prescribed spectacles or sunglasses to shy off the sun rays, make sure that enough space is present inside the helmet so that your eye wear sits in with ease.

• Variable size cheek pads – Different riders imply different shape of their heads. The helmet should have that spot-on shape which snugs in your face shape perfectly, so that you may be able to try the different cheek pads as well. An added advantage, isn’t it?

• Air vents – Your helmet keeps your head closed from surroundings. Thus, the helmet should provide that effective and proper amount of ventilation, which is required in different conditions of weather and speed.

• Chin strap fastener – This is the thing which should neither be too loose to make your helmet out of place, nor it should be too tight to act like if someone is pressing up your neck and you are running out of your breath. Just the perfect fit, it should be, with the fasteners easy to operate even with the gloves on your hands.

• Half-face helmets – These helmets do cover your head, but unlike the full-face ones, these cover it partially. Mainly, there are two half-face helmets to choose from:-

• Three-quarter open face helmets – Unlike wrapping up your whole face like a full face helmet, this one covers a significant three-fourth amount of area, with the front view being free of any hardened protection, with or without a visor placed there, and the top and rear portions covered up with hardened outer shell. In other words, these helmets startheir expansion of the hardened shell from the forehead, moving curvaceously till the back, behind your head above the neck. Though, these helmets come with those regular chin straps with those as in full faced ones. These helmets are preferred when easy communication is to be done with the other riders with the helmets on the head and at the same time.

• Half-shell open face helmets – This provides even lesser amount of protection as compared to the three-quarter half-faced helmets, as these cover only the top of your head, and leave the sides, front and rear of the head uncovered. This means that most of the areas of your head are vulnerable and prone to crash disaster. Sure, they are the lightest helmets available, but it’s almost considered as only a cap and not qualified as a protection aid and law fulfilling gear. These helmets are best suited only in city commuting below the speeds of 35 kmph only.

Special points you should be aware of regarding all open-face helmets:

• Secure chin strap – For the half-faced helmets, facing the wind blasts of varying speeds is the biggest challenge to tackle. At high speeds, the increased force of wind makes the helmet to wobble and make you feel that if you are going to ride at the same pace, sooner or later, the helmet may blow off! So, the chin strap must be tightened enough, so that the helmet stays at its place.

• Eye protection – Minimal amount of hardened protection in such helmets means that you are more prone to flying objects, such as insects, dust and even pouring raindrops. So, if your half-faced helmet is coupled up with a sizeable visor, it’s well and good, otherwise its advisory to wear goggles or sunglasses to increase that extra eye protection.

• Flip-up/modular motorcycle helmets – These are preferred by those riders who want the experience of a full-face helmet as well as a half-faced one, incorporated into a single helmet, giving the advantage of both the types of helmets in a single unit. Usually, it’s a full-faced helmet, which comes with a flip switch, which when pressed, lifts up the front portion and makes it a half-faced one. Thus, the flip switch must be positioned in such a way that the rider’s fingers may have an easy access to them, so that it can be pressed even when he is riding.

• Off-road motorcycle helmets – These helmets come up with all those qualities of protection, which a full-faced helmet does offer, but in addition, they also come with extra aerodynamic and pointed styling to the outer shell as well as extra inner protection linings, so as to provide that added pedigrees of safety, even when the rider is riding in off-road conditions. The main prominent features to look upon in such helmets are protruding chin guard pointed towards the end and a goggle-like visor, which can be switched on whenever needed.

Key points to consider, while buying a helmet:-

• The helmet which seems to be a straight fit, may prove to be tight in the long run due to the wearing out of padding of foam inside.

• The helmet which is too easy to pull on may not be the best fit, as it may be unable to withstand the wind force at high speeds.

• Be aware of how the interior comfort liner makes contact with the head inside the helmet. The helmet may be uncomfortable for the long runs, if the lining touches only the top of the head.

• The full face helmet must fit all the face parts, such as jaw, chin and cheeks with the perfect resistance and grip. Be sure that such helmets are designed to incorporate cheek pads which can be removable.

• The pressure and force acting by the helmet on your head and face must be equal at all points, ignoring of which may be uncomfortable at the point of excess pressure.

• If are left to compare between a slightly loosened and a slightly tightened helmet, go with the latter one, as the interior padding will settle and the foam will compress in accordance with the shape of your head.

• While shaking your head or turning or rotating it at directions, the helmet which you are wearing should be there at its position, without loosening up. But inside the helmet, your cheeks should be able to move while you do such actions.

• The helmet’s size may be diminutive, if your chin or nose makes any contact with the visor or face-shield.

• Always prefer the helmets with a visor, and then check whether it covers the eye opening of the helmet completely or not.

• The visor should be easy to open or close, with just a movement of hand or pressing a switch.

• The visor should be free of any dust or scratch, and if it gets too much of it, replace the visor.

Signs of helmet replacement:- The helmets, just like every other thing in the universe, do have their life span. Even if one of the components of the helmet gets damaged, it’s advisable to change or replace it as soon as possible. Here are some signs which tell you that your helmet is ageing:-

• The helmet should be replaced at the moment once it suffers an accident or a crash. The safety factor, then, decreases a lot.

• If your helmet drops off from your hand, and it gets any crack in the outer shell or visor, replace the visor or the helmet in a whole.

• The interior foam lining is worn out from inside, which happens due to the repeatedly falling of helmet, supporting it against objects (such as rear-view mirrors), or it happens with the time passing by.

• The soft foam padding inside the helmet crumbles up or gets shrunk, and you begin to feel your helmet loose from inside.

• When you begin to feel that the present time helmets have the technology and new-age safety factors added to them, which simply are not present in your ageing helmet.

• The normal age of your helmet is maximum five years. If after this period of time, you still feel it as a new product, get awake, as it may be worn out from inside and may get cracked wholly, if you face any accident.