Riding a motorcycle without a helmet? it is like jumping off a plane without a parachute. Would you do something crazy like that? I don’t think anyone will try to jump off the plane without a parachute. No one would do that even with a parachute. Then why do we tend to do the same thing with motorcycles? Just for a little bit of freedom, we risk our life. Here is some reason why it’s actually unsafe to ride a motorcycle without a helmet.
Structural protection
When you ride a bus, a car, or even an auto-rickshaw it gives a little bit of structural protection. If there is an accident and friction happens the body of the vehicle will take it. Even if that’s a big accident you will feel a little bit less. But what happens on a motorcycle is you don’t get that structural protection at all. You have to rely on all the gear you have put on yourself. And the most important part of your body is your head. The helmet will protect your brain so that you are safe from having a head injury, severe trauma, and getting to ICU.
Death rate
If you don’t believe that wearing a helmet is saving lives every day you should look up some surveys. National highway traffic safety administration made a survey and they claimed that 1,699 people were saved just because they were wearing helmets. From 2008 to 2010 14,283 people died in a motorcycle accidents. And 42% of people were saved because they were wearing helmets. So just imagine not wearing a helmet one day and you face an accident. Maybe you wear it every day but didn’t feel like wearing it on that particular day. Only you are going to suffer for this.
Even if you didn’t die in the accident your hospital stay will be longer than a normal injury. You will not be able to recover fast as the injury will be deep. In most cases of a motorcycle accident where a rider is without a helmet, it is serious. Brain trauma can result in spinal cord injury that even causes disability in the future. And you know that the fatal risk of brain injury is always there. You may not be spot dead but death after a few days of hospitalization is the same for you.
Protection from other stuff
It is not death only that keeps people motivated to wear helmets. Those who wear helmets don’t just wear them for protection. While riding it’s annoying when bugs, dirt, and road scrapes come in your face. Also, no one wants the crap coming from the truck on their face. To protect themselves from these things a helmet is a great tool. Now you know that a helmet doesn’t protect from just accidents. It protects you from raindrops, craps of road, and dirt as well. So you are getting benefits from a helmet in every possible way.
What would happen if I don’t wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle?
What will happen to you if you don’t wear a helmet depends on some circumstances. If you start a long journey of hours without a helmet on at the highest speed it can be dangerous. You will face a fatal head injury and your survival chance will be low. But a quick ride to the neighborhood or to the grocery store where there are not many vehicles is alright. You may feel annoyed by the bugs and dirt but that’s it. But it’s about abiding by the rules. You may be fined for not wearing a helmet.
Why do motorcycle riders not wear a helmet?
It’s a mystery that no one could find out why motorcycle riders hate wearing helmets. Yes I know wearing the helmet hinders eyesight, makes suffocate, and feel uncomfortable. But it saves lives and that they always keep out of their mind. Some riders think they get improved eyesight by not wearing helmets. And they hear noise better. So when there is a possibility of a crash they know what to do. They decide and avoid the crash. That’s why some riders choose to not wear a helmet.
Can you suffer brain injury even wearing a helmet?
Yes unfortunately you can. But the possibility of getting a brain injury even after wearing a helmet is low. But it can happen for some reasons. If the helmet isn’t strong enough and the shock was too strong for the helmet to take. If you weren’t wearing the helmet correctly, the helmet is too tight or too loose all these can make the possibility of brain injury higher.
Why do helmets have an expiry date of five years?
If you didn’t know, helmets do have an expiry date. And that is for five years. You shouldn’t use a helmet for more than five years. And why is that so? Why can’t you use something forever as long as it looks alright? The resin and other materials that are used in the helmets have an expiry date. Sweat, hair oil, UV ray, and typical wearing off the fabric cause damage to the helmet. so five years of usage can take everything from the helmet. after all the years the helmet loses its ability to protect. It cannot stop the head from crushing as the material gets worn out. That’s why you must replace a helmet every five years.
Final thoughts
We all love motorcycle for the freedom it gives us. The open-air hitting the face is something we love to experience. But a helmet is quite the opposite thing for those who love freedom. It protects you by keeping everything snug and fit. Not quite the freedom you wanted. Wearing the helmet can give you a life-changing lesson and not wearing one will also give you a life-changing lesson. But the latter will not be as pleasant. It may change the way you live forever. So before it’s too late make sure you go find the best helmet for yourself and wear it.
