When you are getting ready to ride your motorcycle, you need to make sure that you are ready when you leave home. One of the most important things you can do is to grab your helmet and put it on. This one action can help save your life if you are in an accident, but you must ensure that the helmet you choose is approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
There are many misconceptions that surround helmet usage. One of these is that the motorcyclist will suffer from neck injuries if they are wearing a helmet when another vehicle slams into them. The reason that this isn’t true is that the helmet’s cushioning will help absorb the impact of the crash, which reduces the stress put on the neck.
Another one is that motorcyclists can’t see or hear when they have a helmet on. This isn’t the case as long as it is DOT approved. In order to get approval, the view radius angle must be greater than the average view radius angle. It is also a myth that helmets make it harder to hear. While they do filter out noise, they can actually help make it easier to hear horns and other sounds that are meaningful when you are driving.
Motorcyclists are almost 28 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of cars. While helmets won’t prevent all of those deaths, they can reduce the number. On average, helmets save around $17 billion per year in financial impacts to society, but this could be improved by another $8 billion if all motorcyclists wore a helmet.
If you were in a motorcycle crash that wasn’t your fault, consider looking into a civil lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages and more.
