Under normal circumstances, wearing a bike helmet should help protect your head from brain damage or severe injury in case of a fall or accident. However, the degree to which a helmet protects your head varies depending on the situation, proper fit, type of helmet and correct usage.
Head Protection
The brain is sensitive to impacts and intense rotation. Thus, bicycle accidents can pose a major threat to the brain. However, a layer of crushable foam inside bicycle helmets is designed to absorb the impact from a crash before that impact can affect your brain. According to a 1989 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine," bicycle riders who wear helmets decrease their risk for a head injury by 88 percent.
False Confidence
Although helmets can help prevent brain injury, the first step in protection is to avoid a crash completely. Some riders develop a false sense of confidence when riding with a helmet on that may cause them to take on larger risks and put themselves in dangerous situations. In addition, according to Dr. Ian Walker, a Bath University professor, drivers may assume that cyclists wearing helmets are more experienced and leave less room as they pass than they do for those who do not have their head covered.
Limitations
Bicycle helmets do offer some, though not a significant, amount of protection in a collision with a motor vehicle or other intense accidents. Helmets must pass standard tests that mimic their intended use. For example, a bicycle helmet would not pass the same tests required for a motorcycle, military or construction helmet. As the Bicycle Safety Helmet Institute explains, "No helmet can protect against all possible impacts."
Considerations
To get the most protection out of your bicycle helmet, be sure that your chin strap is securely tightened while riding. In addition, choose a helmet that has thick foam, but not one that excessively extends the circumference of your head --- this could cause neck or rotational damage upon impact. Lastly, if your helmet has ever been in a collision, replace it, as the crushable foam inside that protects you will likely be ruined.
References
- Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: Helmets, How They Work and What Standards Do
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; A Case-Control Study of the Effectiveness of Bicycle Safety Helmets; Robert S. Thompson, M.D., Frederick P. Rivara, M.D., M.P.H., and Diane C. Thompson, M.S.; May 1989
- University of Bath: Wearing a Helmet Puts Cyclists at Risk, Suggest Research
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