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September 2014 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Wear a
Helmet!
It Might Just
Save Your Life.
By Fiona Young-Brown
In 2013, Kentucky emergency
teams dealt with 1,253 motorcycle
injuries and 79 motorcyclist deaths.
Of those who died, 53 were not wearing a helmet; of those injured, 651
were without head protection.
Sadly, those numbers will fail to
convince many who continue to ride
without a helmet. Nor will those riders be convinced by further statistics
that show helmets can reduce motorcyclist fatalities by 22 to 37 percent,
and brain injuries by as much as 65
percent.
For some people, only knowing
someone who is in an accident will
be enough to change their mind. By
then, their friend or family member
may have suffered brain injuries so
severe that they undergo a permanent
personality change. Or perhaps the
naysayer will be the one injured, facing a long and painful rehabilitation,
having to relearn simple tasks…
All for the sake of a helmet.
Consider the number of air bags
and other safety measures in a car.
Now consider that car or SUV slamming into you. No matter the engine
size of the vehicle you are riding, if
you are on two wheels, you do not
have anything to fully protect you
from the impact of a minivan slamming into you.
In 2013, Kentucky emergency teams
dealt with 1,253 motorcycle injuries
and 79 motorcyclist deaths.
A helmet cannot guarantee that
you will not be injured in the event
of an accident. It can, however, significantly reduce the risk of traumatic
brain injury by absorbing the impact
of a collision. The following tips can
help you choose the right helmet:
• Choose a helmet made of the
right material. Motorcycle helmets tend to be made of lightweight crack-resistant plastics.
Don’t buy the cheapest you can
find. Seek advice from the salesperson and get one that offers the
level of impact resistance and the
coverage that you need. Look for
one with a DOT sticker; this indicates that it passes certain safety
standards.
• Choose a helmet that is comfortable. For motorcyclists, a full-face
helmet offers the most protection, but some riders prefer the
half-face helmet because it offers
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a better view. Whichever one
you choose, look for one that fits
comfortably with no uncomfortable rubbing or chafing. Choose
the level of interior padding
that suits you, preferably sweat
absorbent and without any itchy
seams. Make sure that the visor
fits snugly without impeding your
vision.
• Just as your helmet shouldn’t
be too tight, it shouldn’t be too
loose. This might be particularly
odd for first time motorcyclists
who don’t have a sense of a good
fit. Once the helmet is fastened, it
shouldn’t move up and down on
your head.
And don’t think that riding a
bicycle makes you any safer. One look
at the rush hour traffic on New Circle
Road or at the children riding around
neighborhoods without helmets
should be enough to remind you of
their importance, and parents can set
a good example to their children by
always wearing head protection on
family rides.
According to www.kidshealth.org,
some 300,000 kids visit emergency
rooms every year as a result of bicycle
injuries, and while a broken arm can
easily be reset, skull injuries aren’t
always as easy to fix. Many of the tips
for motorcycle helmets also apply to
choosing a bicycle helmet. Although
obviously you are looking at a different style and material, look fo