QuestionIs it safer to wear a helmet or not?
AnswerRod,
Thanks for the question.
The "helmet question" has been one of the most devisive and controversial issues in the history of motorcycling. Some riders refuse to ride with a helmet, others won't ride without one. Some think they are the single most important piece of safety equipment you can use, others think they are a hazard in and of themselves. Who's right?
Many tests and plenty of emergency room testimony has strongly backed up the safety value of wearing a helmet. Also, tests of DOT/Snell approved helmets has shown that "expensive" helmets don't do a whole lot more than cheaper ones to protect you ina crash (it's usually fancy design, paint, features and the brand name that drive up the price). So a $500 helmet is really no "safer" than a $200 unit. Also, I am talking about full-face helmets. Half-shell ("cop-style") helmets are better than nothing, but you leave your face open to injury. "Beanie" biker helmets are worthless, you might as well wear a Red Sox cap.
Those that argue against helmets assert that they block vision, reduce the ability to hear and add dangerous weight to the head, increasing the chances of neck injury. As for the vision and hearing complaints, the amount of visible area blocked by a full-face helmet is negligible and is so far into your periphery (side) vision that it does not matter. As for blocking sound, we have been blessed with highly adaptable hearing faculties, so much so that a few minutes after first putting on a helmet, you can hear pretty much everything you need to hear (traffic, trains, etc) to ride safely. It's just not that big a deal.
As for the neck injury argument, there is something to it. When you put on a helmet, you do strap weight to your head. In some cases, this can be a liability. But the vast vast vast majority of motorcycle accidents do not involve that kind of motion. Typically, a helmet saves you from blunt force trauma (hitting stuff really hard) and abrasion (sliding down the road) injuries. Very rarely will a helmet be the source of injury.
Also, helmets have a few benefits. They REDUCE wind fatigue while riding on the highway. The UV protection in the face shield keeps your face from getting sunburnt. Pesky critters like bees, flying beetles, and so forth may dirty up a helmet, but if you've ever caught a bee in the face at 60mph (or faster), suffice to say it hurts like hell. And if you get caught in the rain, a helmet is a godsend, especially on the highway. And a brightly colored or designed helmet is like a beacon in traffic, making you more visible.
I had a collision ten years ago that would have certainly been fatal if I had not been wearing a helmet. Instead, I walked away from it, and only took a day off work to recover. Quite a difference. I wear a full-face helmet that cost less than $200 and it works great. I am a proponent of personal choice and I do not agree with helmet laws, but I never, ever ride without one. Modern helmets are safe, and more than ever, comfortable.
My bottom line: it is absolutely safer to wear a helmet when you ride a motorcycle. No safety device is perfect, but the safety benefits of a helmet far outweigh its potential dangers. It is one of the best choices to make if you want to ride motorcycles for many years.
Ride safe, have fun,
Bill Roberson
