Bicycle Helmets

WEB SITES OF INTEREST
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
US Consumer Product Safty Commission
Tips for Getting your Kids to Wear Helmets
Wikipedia- Bicycle Helmets
International Bicycle Fund- Do you need a Helmet?
International Bicycle Fund- Infant/Toddler Helmets?
Mayo Clinic- Are You Wearing Your Bicycle Helmet Correctly?
National Highway Trafic Safety Administration- Helmet Junction
Medicinenet.com- Skull Study Proves Bike Helmets Work

EVERYONE SHOULD WEAR A HELMET
To Prevent Death or Serious Injury While Cycling

By law, 21 States require bicyclists to wear helmets when cycling.
All cyclists should wear helmets to prevent death or serious head injury while riding.

For maximum safety, your helmet must fit properly. A helmet that fits poorly, can make injuries worse in certain conditions.

Guidlines for Purchasing and Fitting a Helmet:

Make sure that the helmet you buy is approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission [CPSC]

Make sure that the helmet you are buying is the right size.

Different people have heads of different size and shape. Shop around. Try on different helmets until you find one that is comfortable.

Your bicycle helmet should fit snug, touching your head all the way around. It should sit as low on the head as possible, and be level, with the strap comfortably snug. Your ear should be between the straps.

If you're not comfortable adjusting the helmet yourself, then buy your helmet from a bicycle retailer that can help with helmet selection and proper fitting.

Fitting the Helmet:

The helmet shouldn't be too small or too big. Minor adjustments can be made with straps and buckles. Foam pads can be placed on the inside of the helmet to make sure that the helmet fits snuggly all the way around the head.

Sit the helmet level on your head. A common mistake is to push the helmet onto the back of the head, leaving the face and forehead exposed.

Once the helmet sits snuggly on your head in a level position, you need to adjust the straps and buckles to keep it in place. You should only need to make these adjustments once.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine developed "Eye-Ear-Mouth" test for fitting helmets:

EYE
When you look upward the front rim should be barely visible to your eye.

EAR
The Y of the side straps should meet just below your ear.

MOUTH
The chin strap should be snug against the chin so that when you open your mouth very wide you feel the helmet pull down a little bit.

Adjusting the Helmet Straps:

With the helmet in position on your head, adjust the length of the rear straps and the length of the front straps so that the Y fitting where the straps come together is located just under your ear. That may involve sliding the straps across the top of the helmet to get the length even on both sides.

Then adjust the length of the chin strap so it is comfortably snug. A snug chin strap is only thing that will hold your helmet on during a crash.

Checking the Fit:

When you think the straps are right, shake your head. The helmet should fit snugly and move as one with your head. It should not bounce around independently.

Push up and back on the front of your helmet. If you can you move the helmet more than an inch from level, exposing your bare forehead, then you need to tighten the strap in front of your ear, and/or loosen the rear strap behind your ear, making sure that the Y remains just below the ear. Adjust the straps so that one passes in front of your ear and one behind. If both straps pass the ear on the same side, the straps won't hold the helmet on properly.

Reach back and pull up on the back of your helmet. If you can you move the helmet more than an inch, tighten the rear strap.

The helmet should be level, feel solid on your head, and be comfortable. It should pass the eye-ear-mouth test.