How Bicycle Helmets Protect the Head in an Accident
In Georgia, you should always wear your bicycle helmet when you’re riding around the city or in the more rural parts of the state. According to state law, bicyclists under the age of 16 are required to wear a helmet, whereas anyone over that age is not required to wear one. Just because it’s not legally required, cyclists should still wear their helmet.
Many people don’t like wearing a helmet because they think it doesn’t do anything or they don’t think they look cool. That’s why kids and teens might disobey the law and choose to ride without a helmet on. But it’s important to wear one because it protects the most important part of your body—your head. Let’s take a look at exactly how bike helmets protect the head in an accident.
How Do Helmets Work?
Bicycle helmets are typically comprised of a thick layer of foam covered by a layer of plastic on the outside. There are straps that secure around the chin so that it stays in place. This ensures that it is as effective as possible in the event of a bike accident. When it’s not secured, it could move or fall off during a crash and be rendered useless.
That layer of foam is what makes helmets great for protection. When you wear a helmet and hit your head on an object, the foam crushes. This cushions your head and helps reduce the force of the impact from the object on your head. It also spreads the force of the impact so that it’s not in a centralized location, the energy is more spread out across the helmet from the foam.
Additionally, the plastic shell on the outside provides safety. It can prevent sharp objects from piercing through the helmet and it can also allow you head to slide along a hard object because it is also a hard surface. Sliding along a surface can keep you from hurting your neck because your body can stay aligned.
Of course, some accidents are more severe than others. Helmets cannot protect you in every situation—in extreme collisions, a helmet might not be enough to save you from a traumatic brain injury. However, in general, wearing a helmet while riding a bike can prevent you from suffering from a brain injury, or can lessen the severity of the trauma that you sustain.
When they haven’t been in an accident, bike helmets can last up to 20 years. It’s important to get the correctly sized helmet, especially for kids because their heads are smaller and more susceptible to serious damage than adult heads. If your helmet has been in an accident and crushed in any way, it needs to be replaced.
Bicycle Accident Statistics
As mentioned above, wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle is not only the law for Georgia citizens under 16, but it’s also the safest decision to make so that you can prevent a serious brain injury. According to the Cleveland Clinic, wearing a helmet reduces the risk of a traumatic brain injury by 70 percent.
When a cyclist is travelling 20 miles per hour on their bike and they fall off, the force is the same as falling from a window on the second story of a building. Considering this, it’s easier to see just how serious bike accidents can be and how they can leave you with severe injuries.
It might seem like riding a bike isn’t dangerous enough to always warrant wearing a helmet, but you never know what will happen. If you’re biking in the city, on a trail, or anywhere else, there’s always the chance that you could crash and get hurt. The best way to prevent serious injuries is to always wear your helmet and make sure it’s fixed properly on your head.
Bey & Associates Can Help You After Your Bike Accident
When you get into a collision while riding your bike, you likely suffered from injuries and other damages. If you were hit by a car or another vehicle who was being negligent, you deserve to recover compensation so that you can pay for your medical bills and other costs of living. An Atlanta bicycle accident lawyer can help you do just that.
At Bey & Associates, we’re experienced in representing clients who have been harmed in a collision on their bicycle. We’ll fight hard to ensure you get justice for what you’ve gone through. Contact us today so that we can start working for you right away.