Wednesday 26 September 2018

CHOSE YOUR HELMET WISELY

Riding a motorcycle gives the rider freedom on the open road. However, there are serious dangers involved in riding without any safety measures & most importantly a helmet.

You all know motorcycles don`t provide us with the structural safety & protection that a car does to keep the driver & other passengers safe in the event of an unfortunate accident.

We as motorcyclist or bikers need to take some extra protection to protect our body parts. The most important is to protect our head.

As we all know very well, the head & brain is the most vulnerable to get injured in any case of a motorcycle accident. The rider & pillion wearing helmets increase the chances of survival significantly over the people not wearing any protection on their head.

**Studies have stated that 1214 road accident occurs in India per day. Motorcycles account for 25% of the total road accidents.

Let me share some of the tips on selecting the best protective helmet for you & pillion.




 FULL-FACE HELMETS
These helmets offer complete protection in case of any accidents. The other parts of your face including jaws are equally vulnerable. You will surely not like to have a disfigured face. These full-face helmets that can save you from disfigurement.






OPEN-FACE HELMETS
Comfort wise, these helmets are better because they give you greater visibility. People with glasses love this kind of helmets. But, it does leave you thinking as it does not give you full protection for your face.





HALF HELMETS
These helmets offer the basic protection to your head. They are light and hence very popular. You need a good strap to keep this helmet in place.

There are more options & types of helmets popular amongst the riding fraternity & the young generation. Following are the details of these kinds of helmets.






MODULAR HELMETS
This is a combination of an Open face & Full face helmets. There is an option to flip open the chin bar thereby functioning as a three-quarter helmet. This allows you to have a drink (Non-Alcoholic) without removing your helmet.
Drawback: The hinges make it a comparatively weak structure.



OFF-ROAD HELMETS
Bike racers prefer to go for such helmets. They often get ventilation, sometimes protects from direct sunlight, but are not ideal for riding on the highways as the high-speed wind makes it difficult to keep the head stable while riding.




DUAL-SPORT HELMETS
These helmets look stylish & trendy but do not offer the complete protection that a full-face helmet does. Similar to Off-road helmets.






So above are the types of helmets available in the market form various brands. It's very important to choose the right helmet for the rider & pillion.

Injuries to the head are major causes of fatalities in accidents involving two-wheeler. Helmets can go a long way in reducing the severity of the face & head injuries. This is the main reason behind the move by the Indian Government to make helmets compulsory while riding a Two-wheeler. The law stipulates that both the rider and the pillion rider are supposed to wear helmets. There are strict fines amounting to a payment of Rs.500/- under section 129 MVA/ 177 MVA in the state of Maharashtra. source:  https://trafficpolicemumbai.maharashtra.gov.in/fine/


Impact area on Helmet during an accident.


These tips will help you choose the right helmet.

COMFORT
The helmet should fit your head perfectly. This will give you the maximum comfort on the road while riding a motorcycle even if you ride on bumpy roads. Ensure to tighten the straps so that the helmet does not fall off. That`s when it makes sense to always try one before buying. Yes, that means you may end up returning a few before the perfect one comes your way if you buy online. But I would suggest you buy one from a store where you can get to try as many you want with a perfect fit.

MATERIAL
The helmets should be solid from outside as well as from inside. You should have good cushioning inside the helmet to absorb the shocks and even have ventilation as well. This can help prevent injuries to your head.

HYGIENE 
Wearing helmets will cause sweating. The cushioning material inside the helmets can absorb the sweat. Therefore, it is necessary to have helmets that consist of detachable parts. This allows you to clean the helmet and reduces chances of allergies. Vents are always welcome for this

WEIGHT
Your helmets should be of an optimum weight. A heavy one can put an undue strain on your neck muscles that can add discomfort while riding. if possible wear a helmet and ride for 30 minutes before buying the same.

THE RIGHT TYPE
As mention above in this blog, the types of helmets. Choose the one you are most comfortable with. A Full Face helmet offers the maximum protection which we all need on Indian Roads.

VENTILATION
No one likes to get suffocated while riding. Naturally, your helmet should have proper ventilation without compromising on the safety.

CERTIFICATION OF HELMETS
Certain cities in India have made it mandatory for two-wheelers to wear helmets with ISI or BIS certification. Although it is not compulsory to wear helmets with certification, it does pay for safe rather than be sorry.

I hope this Helmet buying guide will help you buy a good & best quality helmets in India.
So what are you waiting from, Go on, try some helmets & pick the right one for your head?



**Data & images are used for reference purpose only from the internet.





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