All Annotations of Motorcycle helmet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[Preview]

saved byKMG on 2007-09-11

• Studies have shown that full face helmets offer the most protection to motorcycle riders because 35% of all crashes showed major impact on the chin-bar area
• Although black helmets are popular among motorcyclists, they offer the least visibility to motorists. A rider wearing a plain white helmet rather than a black one reduces his or her chance of collision by 24% ^[5][6] because it is so much more visible — day or night. Nevertheless, black helmets — as shown in the photo of an open-face helmet above, right — outsell white ones (photo, right) by 20:1. Helmets of other colors vary in the visibility they provide to motorists by where they fall on a scale from black to white.
• Motorcycle helmets are generally designed to break in a crash (thus expending the energy otherwise destined for the wearer's skull), so they provide little or no protection after their first impact. Note that impacts may, of course, come from things other than crashing, such a dropping a helmet, and may not cause any externally visible damage. For the best protection, helmets should be replaced after any impact, and every three or so years even if no impact is known to have occurred.