With a big crash seemingly every day, this year’s Tour de France is looking like a commercial for how not to stay upright on a bicycle. It’s not just the pros who fall though, as everyone who rides a bike needs to be properly prepared for an accident. Here's how to make sure you have the right helmet.
One of my good friends got hit by a car recently and here is what his bike looked like after the fact:
You can see how much damage was done to the back wheel of the bike. Fortunately my friend and his wife, who were both hit in the same accident by the same far were both wearing helmets and escaped with minor scrapes and bruises. Ultimately the best way to prevent your head from looking like the back wheel of the bike above is to protect yourself by wearing your bike helmet.
The research on the benefits of wearing a helmet is absolutely clear. Thompson et al.1 published a review paper that included five well conducted cases. Control studies and found that helmets provide a 63-88 per cent reduction in the risk of head, brain and severe brain injury for all ages of bicyclists. Helmets were found to provide equal levels of protection for crashes involving motor vehicles (69 per cent) and crashes from all other causes (68 per cent).
Furthermore, injuries to the upper and mid facial areas were found to be reduced by 65 per cent, although helmets did not prevent lower facial injuries. The review authors concluded that bicycle helmets are an effective means of preventing head injury.
Are you convinced? Great! Make sure you wear a helmet - all the time. Even on short rides around your home. And make sure your helmet fits properly - and if you have kids make sure theirs fits well too.
There are 3 main things to remember about helmet fits:
- Snug: You want the helmet to fit snugly on the head. You can adjust the pads, fitting ring or straps to get a nice snug fit. Its scary to think but you want the helmet to still be in place if you get hit by a car, then your head hits the road.
- Level: The next consideration is to make sure that the helmet is level. I've seen many children with the helmet resting on the back of the head leaving the forehead and face exposed. It's critical that the helmet be level on the head so that your forehead and upper face are protected. Use the straps to set the helmet on your head and to keep it there comfortably. This can take some adjusting but you end up being more comfortable and safer too.
- Stable: And finally make sure that the straps are snug enough to keep the helmet in place when you are riding around. A few minutes at the beginning of your ride can make a huge difference.
