Why Motorcyclists need to Wear Helmets
There is a belief among motorcyclists that there are two types of motorcycle riders; those who have crashed, and those who will crash. Part of the very nature and allure of motorcycling is the exposure to a little danger. Wearing a helmet while motorcycling doesn't remove that danger, it just reduces the chance that a rider will suffer a head injury when they crash.
While a car's body can act as a protective shell around a driver in an accident, a motorcycle's rider has no such protection. Seatbelts keep a car's passengers from being thrown from the car in an accident. When motorcyclists have accidents, they can be thrown many feet, onto hard asphalt, in busy traffic. Any amount of protection a motorcyclist can get is highly important. A helmet is the first and most important line of defense for motorcyclists.
Many different factors can cause a motorcyclist to crash. Motorcycles are relatively small, and people in cars and trucks often don't see motorcyclists in their mirrors. Other drivers, grooved road surfaces, poor weather conditions, and careless riding are all potential causes of motorcycle accidents. Even very careful motorcyclists, can and do have accidents. All motorcyclists need to protect their heads with helmets, because any motorcyclist can have an accident.
The human head is as fragile as it is critical to a humans life. Even accidents far less severe than a motorcycle crash can cause death due to a head injury. Competitive bicycle racers are required to wear helmets, even in the controlled environment of a race event. Motorcyclists can be exposed to speeds many times faster, in uncontrolled environments, which can also contain cars and trucks moving at high speed. The risk of a fatal head injury is so great in a motorcycle crash that motorcyclists need, at minimum, to protect their heads with a helmet.
Beyond protecting a motorcyclist from a fatal head injury, helmets may also be required under state laws. Some states require all riders on motorcycles to wear helmets, and other states require riders under a certain age to wear helmets. If the potential for a fatal head injury isn't enough to persuade a motorcyclist to wear a helmet, then perhaps the threat of being stopped by the police and fined is.
Anyone who enjoys roller-coasters, water skiing or driving a convertible, knows the exhilaration of the wind in their hair. One of the greatest aspects of motorcycling is that it allows riders to be in the open and exposed to the elements. But with that exposure, there comes a little danger. Helmets are inherently important for motorcyclists, because motorcycling is inherently dangerous.
