The Department Of Transportation's guidelines for a "safe" helmet really are not that specific, so I'm finding. They want the helmet to have a thick lining, one inch of solid polystyrene foam, which is basically a thermoplastic material that can be molded into shapes and is flexible when heated. Nothing too technical there, it's the same thing that styrofoam cups are made out of. Sturdy chin straps are a requirement as well to keep the helmet fastened to the rider. The chin straps on all three of the helmets I own are pretty cheap to be honest and yes all three are DOT/Snell approved. Helmets that weigh one pound or less are deemed unsafe; hopefully that is obvious to motorcyclists however many riders prefer a more lightweight helmet. The ones that meet the requirements placed by the Department Of Transportation are generally three pounds or more.
In my opinion, if the manufacturers began producing helmets of higher quality for safety, then riders would be even less inclined to wear them. In order to make a helmet able to withstand a more forceful impact, it would in turn make it weigh noticeably more than what it does currently at the fourteen mile an hour standards. A heavier helmet would make for an unhappy rider; and especially in Florida's climate with the heat and humidity, I don't think many of the riders would want the safer option.
Originally Posted by
Brandon
I do not understand why they do not have a helmet law here.. It seems the folks running the state as far as passing laws spend a lot of time thinking about how dangerous the motorcycle crowd is. Interesting, though, how they seem to over look mandatory safety precautions that, in my opinion, are a key to a higher survival rate in any given crash as opposed to nothing at all. Pretty obvious, but that's my .02
I wear a helmet because if I die on a bike I don't want people calling me an idiot for not wearing one. Seriously though, anything helps in a crash and if you can protect any one thing, in my opinion, you should protect your head first.
I completely agree with you, even if the body part, in this case the skull isn't fully protected, the helmet would reduce the impact & trauma resulting in a much better outcome. If your head got crushed but the rest of your body made it out okay, you would still be screwed because you would be in a vegetative state for the rest of your life and nothing else would matter.