Myths about Helmets

As in any social group pertaining to an activity, motorcycle riders are no less likely to come up with myths about their vehicles than anyone else. Unfortunately, some of the most popular myths all involve the use of helmets and how they don’t accomplish much. While myths can be convincing, they are untrue and helmets should always be worn.

The first popular myth is that helmets break necks. This seems like a somewhat logical idea if one considers that a helmet puts more weight on one’s head which can create more weight when the rider is thrown from the motorcycle and then snap one’s neck. Unfortunately, a lot more thought goes into the design of helmets making this entire myth ridiculous. The helmets that are approved by transportation departments have the ability to absorb the energy in a crash that is capable of breaking a rider’s neck upon impact. Helmeted motorcyclists actually suffer far fewer neck injuries than those who do not wear helmets.

The second myth is that helmets block a rider’s ability to see or to hear danger coming. This sounds good except that the statistics that exist show that riders who have helmets crash less frequently than those without them. No one is quite sure why this correlation exists but it does.

A third myth is that helmets don’t help in most crashes. This myth comes from the relatively low test speeds for helmets. People assume that helmets are not tested quickly because they won’t do any good at higher speeds. This is a fine assumption except that statistically speaking, the majority of accidents happen at low speeds within the range in which helmets are tested.

Contact an Iowa Motorcycle Accident Attorney

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact the Iowa motorcycle accident lawyers of the Pete Leehey Law Firm, P.C. at 1-877-209-9452.