Bicycle Helmets

Are Bicycle Helmets Required?

In New York City's evaluation of bicycle-related fatalities from 1996 to 2005, 97 percent of bicyclists who died were not wearing a helmet. Seventy-four percent of crashes involved head injuries. While there is no federal law requiring bicyclists to wear helmets, some states and districts have adopted bicycle helmet laws to prevent fatalities. Contact your local government Health or Parks and Recreation departments to find out more about specific laws in your area.

All About Bicycle Helmets

GoPro Helmet & Bicycle Commuting

GoPro does not manufacture bicycle helmets. This company makes a mountable camera specially designed to mount onto a bicycle helmet or the frame. You can use this camera to record your active commute. Riders can use the footage...

How to Measure Children's Bicycle Helmets

A bicycle helmet is made to withstand one impact, but if it works once, it can save a child from serious injury or death. Bike helmets sold in the U.S. must pass rigorous safety standards. However, even the best helmets can fai...

Penalties for Failing to Wear a Bicycle Helmet

No one is going to throw you in jail for not wearing a bicycle helmet, especially if there is no law dictating you must wear one. No federal law covers bicycle helmets. Helmet laws come from individual states, counties, cities ...

How to Put on a Bicycle Helmet

Bicycle helmets help protect your head and brain from serious injury when riding your bike. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a properly fitted helmet reduces the risk of head injury by as much as ...

How Much Should I Spend on a Bicycle Helmet?

Bicycle helmets are available in a range of styles, prices and sizes to accommodate the varying needs of cyclists. While low price might be the most important issue for casual riders and hobbyists, serious and competitive rider...

Should I Wear a Helmet While Bicycle Touring?

No matter how often you use your bike, the distance that you're riding or the terrain, you should always be wearing a helmet. A helmet could save your life in the event of an accident.

Mandatory Bicycle Helmet Laws

Many states have imposed mandatory bicycle helmet laws, either for children or all cyclists. Since bike helmets are 85 to 88 percent effective in preventing serious or fatal head injuries after a bicycle accident, these laws ma...

Do Bicycle Helmets Work?

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 ...

City Bicycle Helmet Laws

Bicycle helmets offer cyclists the best protection from head injuries resulting from bicycle accidents. These laws have been proven effective in increasing helmet use. The first bicycle helmet law was passed in 1986 in Californ...

Why Wear a Bicycle Helmet?

Wearing a bicycle helmet provides significant safety benefits for bicyclists. Despite some debate over the topic, the vast majority of research has shown that wearing a bike helmet is the "single most effective way to reduce he...

Should I Wear a Bicycle Helmet?

Riding a bicycle is great exercise and enjoyable recreation. For some people, bike riding is also a practical alternative to driving to work or school. Anytime you ride, you should wear a helmet. A good bicycle helmet is the be...

What Is Wrong With Bicycle Helmets?

Countless other adult and child cyclists are seriously injured each year on the roads, so it appears to make sense that riding a bicycle helmet can reduce these deaths and injuries by protecting the head of the wearer. But ther...

What Is a Good Bicycle Helmet?

A good bike helmet protects your head from impact if you fall off your bike. It should fit properly and be visible to drivers and other bikers. A good helmet has a proper balance between ventilation and coverage. In most states...

Which Bicycle Helmet?

You've selected that new set of wheels, but you're not ready yet for the bike path. You need the right helmet. That might be because it's the law in 22 states. Better yet, it's because a helmet will protect you from brain injur...

Bicycle Helmet History

Cycle helmets work like a shock absorber for the head. If you fall off your bike, the momentum can whip your head toward the concrete. A helmet cushions the blow and helps reduce the impact on the brain and skull. Cyclists have...

Laws for Bicycle Helmets

In many parts of the country, riding a bicycle without a helmet is illegal. The laws vary by age group, but several local laws require helmets for riders of all ages.

Do Bicycle Helmets Really Save You?

Helmet laws either protect cyclists from head injuries or the statistics from studies that allegedly show they do have been deliberately doctored to mislead. Mandatory helmets are either a life-saving public health measure or a...

Child Bicycle Helmets Compared

Most states have laws in place that require children to wear bicycle helmets while riding. According to "Consumer Reports," wearing a bike helmet may reduce the chances of brain trauma by as much as 85 percent. Well-known manuf...

Five Best Bicycle Helmets

When it comes to cycling safety, a helmet works as one of the most crucial factors, helping to prevent your head and neck from impacts should you fall or crash. You' will find hundreds of bicycle helmets on the market. If you'r...

Safety Ratings of Bicycle Helmets

When choosing a bicycle helmet, make sure that it has been equipped with a few standard safety features. According to Helmets.org, the safest bike helmets have been approved by a private organization known as the Snell Foundati...

Bicycle Helmet Sizes

Choosing the right helmet depends on the person's age, activity, head size and government safety regulations. Manufacturers make helmets to protect against the impacts common to specific activities. Bicyclers use different helm...

Why Wear Bicycle Helmets?

Even a mild cycling crash that takes place at a low-speed can result in a serious injury. The bicycle helmet remains one of the most useful and reliable pieces of riding gear. MayoClinic.com recommends a bicycle helmet that has...

Laws for Bicycle Lights & Helmets

Because injuries are so prevalent, many states have passed laws requiring the use of safety devices such as helmets or bicycle lights.

Should I Replace My Bicycle Helmet?

About 75 percent of bicycle accident deaths result from head injury, according to International Bicycle Fund. It is common knowledge that bicycle helmets are recommended when riding. When to replace the helmet can cause some co...

Can Bicycle Helmets Reduce Head Injuries?

Bicycle helmets reduce head injuries. For that reason, many public safety groups endorse bike safety laws that require cyclists to wear helmets, especially if the laws target young riders. To learn what regulations exist in you...

When Do Bicycle Helmets Expire?

Though safety standards govern the quality of today's bicycle helmets, there is no expiration date you can rely on for newer purchases. Instead, you must keep an eye out for situations that call for helmet replacement.

Can You Wear a Visor or Hat With Your Bicycle Helmet?

More than 50,000 bicyclists suffered injuries in motor vehicle crashes in 2009, says a 2010 report on traffic safety facts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While bicycle helmets don't prevent crashes, th...

History of Lightweight Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle helmets serve to protect a rider's head from impact in the event of a fall or crash. Because bicycling is an aerobic activity, riders prefer lightweight helmets that provide an aerodynamic benefit without impairing visi...

Safest Bicycle Helmets

With each bike ride comes the risk of injury that can be reduced or prevented by wearing a safety bicycle helmet. Common causes of bike riding injuries include falling, running into something or getting hit by a vehicle. Your s...

Bicycle Helmet Safety Standards

Over the years, the design of the bicycle helmet has continued to evolve. Due to the invention of new and dangerous genres of cycling, safety standards have been established to which bicycle helmets must conform. According to t...

Bicycle Helmet Laws in Ontario

In Ontario, Canada's most populous province, the government has made bicycle helmets mandatory for children, but attempts to expand the law to include cyclists of all ages continue to face staunch opposition, much of it from cy...

Bicycle Helmet Inventions

Some bicycle helmet inventions seem to do everything but actually pedal the bike for you. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has hundreds of patents on file for inventions meant to make your helmet safer, cooler, more conveni...

State Laws on Bicycle Helmets

Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have state laws requiring bicycle riders to wear helmets, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. All of these laws apply only to children, although the maximum age varie...

The History of the Bicycle Helmet

Cyclists began to use helmets in the 1880s, but the first versions bore little resemblance to helmets today. Beasley Allen, an Alabama law firm, reports some early helmets were designed to fold up and put in your pocket when yo...

Facts on Bicycle Helmet Laws

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bicycle helmets are the best way to reduce head injuries resulting from bicycle crashes. Although the first bicycle helmet law became effective in California in 1986, the ...

Difference Between a Bicycle Helmet & a Skateboard Helmet

At first glace, bicycle and skateboard helmets may look similar. However, the two models have distinct differences. Choosing a proper helmet can make the difference between a leisurely ride and one that results in a visit to th...

Comparison of Bicycle Helmets

The United States government doesn't require cyclists to wear helmets -- that's left up to the states and cities. But the federal government does insist helmets sold in this country meet a safety standard set by the U.S. Consum...

Lifespan of a Bicycle Helmet

Wearing a bicycle helmet is a way that you can protect yourself from severe and potentially irreversible brain injury. It is important to choose a bicycle helmet that is not too old, fits properly, will protect you effectively,...

Bicycle Helmet Guide

A properly fitting helmet remains an essential piece of cycling equipment. The design of the bicycle helmet varies depending on the intended riding terrain. According to MayoClinic.com, wearing a protective helmet remains the m...

How to Fit a Chinstrap

The chinstrap is an integral piece of many types of helmets. Football helmets often use a chinstrap to help secure a helmet on the head. Chinstraps are even more important to bicycle helmets, which would easily fall off without...

How to Get Started on a Recumbent Trike

A recumbent trike is similar to a normal tricycle with a few key differences. Like all tricycles, a recumbent has three wheels, pedals for propulsion and handles for steering. The biggest difference is in the rider's seating th...

Bicycle Helmet and Head Injury

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention observes that approximately 1,000 people die annually as a result of bicycle accidents and that 62 percent of those deaths are related to head injuries. They also quote a 1989...

Effectiveness of Aero Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle helmets are designed to protect, but if you compete, this protection comes at a cost. Studies show that traditional helmet design will slow you down. Still, it is a good idea to wear one, and racing organizations requir...

Bicycle Helmet Technology

Bicycle helmets were invented to prevent head injuries from crashes or falls. Even though helmets can't fully protect you from every impact, the advent of bicycle-helmet technologies such as impact-absorbing foams have helped t...

CPSC Safety Standards for Bicycle Helmets

Only 18 percent of the bicycling population wears a helmet, the CPSC says. Wearing a bike helmet can reduce your chance of injuries and death by up to 85 percent. The CPSC standards ensure that all bicycle helmets sold in the U...

Bicycle Helmets for Children

Consumer Reports state that in 2007 nearly 1/4 of cyclists involved in a crash with a motor vehicle were under the age of 14. It also states that helmets can reduce the risk of brain injuries by as much as 85 percent. Fortunate...

Bicycle Helmets Vs. Skating Helmets

In the United States, helmets designed specifically for bicycling differ from helmets made for skateboarding. Considerably fewer helmets are designed specifically for roller skating or in-line skating. The differences among hel...

How Are Bicycle Helmets Made?

Constructed of solid, impact resistant materials, the helmet is still light and comfortable to wear. Manufacturers also make helmets aesthetically pleasing in a wide range of colors and designs. The assembly process creates a p...

Proper Way to Wear a Bicycle Helmet

Bicycle helmets are important safety gear used to prevent injury to your head if you fall while riding. Wearing the bicycle helmet properly is important to maintain your safety. You can sustain serious injuries to your head if ...

How to Measure Bicycle Helmets

Wearing a bicycle helmet is a must if you want to prevent head injuries in the case of a fall. A helmet protects your skull and brain by absorbing the impact of the force against your head. A bicycle helmet must be fitted corre...

How to Compare Toddler Bicycle Helmets

When a child reaches 1 year old, he can begin to ride in a bike trailer or bicycle and wear a helmet. Toddler bicycle helmets can be purchased through bike shops and sporting goods store. According to the International Bicycle ...

Bicycle Helmet Standards

Even more disturbing is that 62 percent of those deaths are from head injuries. With an additional 550,000 people needing emergency room care from bicycle accidents, bicycle helmets and their safety standards are an important p...

The Bicycle Helmet Law

However, bicycle helmet laws are not universal nor are the claims that helmets increase a rider’s safety accepted by all.

Bicycle Helmet Facts

Like driving a car or playing most sports, however, bicycling is not without its risks. Becoming knowledgeable about bicycle helmets is an integral part of protecting your safety while bike riding.

Different Bicycle Helmet Designs

Everyone knows that while riding a bike you should wear a helmet. But with so many options to choose from, it's hard to decide which helmet is safe or right for you. With so many designs, colors and styles available, it's easy ...

Reasons for Wearing Bicycle Helmets

But if you're going to go biking in public areas, you must observe local ordinances. Many states now require bicycle riders to wear helmets. To understand these regulations, and to practice safe biking with your own family, it ...

Why Do We Need to Wear a Bicycle Helmet?

Bicycle helmets may not make the greatest fashion statement. They can feel bulky, and very hot on a summer day. But they are crucial for cyclists of any age or experience level. Cyclists should wear helmets on every outing, inc...

Bicycle Helmet Parts

According to the Cleveland Clinic, 85 percent of these injuries would be prevented by wearing a bike helmet. Bike helmets are designed to protect your head by decreasing the force of impact. There are three major parts of bike ...

Children's Bicycle Helmet Laws

Bicycle helmet laws for children where first enacted in California in 1987. Since helmet laws were introduced, helmet use has increased by 18.4 percent, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. As of 2010, 22 states ha...

Bicycle & Helmet Safety

These precautions include both bicycle safety knowledge and equipment safety knowledge, such as selecting a helmet that fits properly. Because even the most experienced bike riders are at risk for accidents and injury, using th...

Types of Bicycle Helmets

More than 700 bicyclists were killed, and another estimated 52,000 were injured on American roads. Whether you ride your bicycle on streets, highways or dirt tracks, a helmet is essential. A helmet protects you against skull fr...

Top Rated Bicycle Helmets

Top rated bicycle helmets can offer great protection for your head. A helmet's effectiveness depends upon its ability to meet the recommended safety standards, fit properly and prove sturdy. In addition, a helmet that is light ...

Bicycle Injuries and Helmet Use

Cycle helmets became available in 1975. The expanded polystyrene foam design replaced the leather hair net style of head gear previously used in cycle sport but ongoing design modifications to make helmets lighter and more comf...

Reasons to Wear a Bicycle Helmet

Not only can biking improve your health, but it's an activity your entire family can participate in together. Regardless of whether you bike for exercise or simple enjoyment, however, donning a bicycle helmet is always a wise c...

How to Dispose of a Bicycle Helmet

Like many recyclable items, bicycle helmets are constructed with multiple parts, some of which may or may not be recyclable in your area. To help reduce your carbon footprint and limit the danger of someone reusing a damaged he...

Bicycle Helmet Requirements

A quality bicycle helmet, along with defensive bicycling techniques, can reduce your risk of debilitating head injuries. According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, or BHSI, there is no federal law in the United States re...

Bicycle Helmet Rules

Bicycling is a safe, pleasurable and healthful activity, although children and adults should always wear helmets when riding. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, 75 percent of bicycle-related deaths could ha...

Bicycle Helmet Regulations

Regulations from the federal to the local levels aim to encourage the use of helmets, educate the public on bicycle safety, and create safety standards for the manufacture of bicycle helmets.

The Use of Bicycle Helmets

Nearly 70 percent of all fatal bicycle crashes involve head injuries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet only 20 to 25 percent of all cyclists wear helmets. As of mid-2010, there are 13 state...

Bicycle Helmet Recommendation

It does not discriminate and is widely enjoyed. It can, however, be confusing to know when it is appropriate to wear a helmet and what types of helmets are recommended. With a little knowledge, biking can be a rewarding and saf...

Bicycle Helmet Safety

Many new cyclists are resistant to using bicycle helmets, but veteran cyclists understand their importance. Many cyclists have fallen off of their bikes and hit their heads. They have witnessed the damage to their helmets that ...

Bicycle Helmet Fit & Proper Use

A bicycle helmet with a correct fit is essential for optimal protection of the head and skull while biking. Knowing what to look for and what techniques to use when trying on a helmet is the key to finding a properly fitted hel...

Bicycle Helmet Safety Information

With 21 states with bicycle helmet laws of one form or another, the message seems clear that wearing a helmet while biking is a safety measure that should not be skipped. It is not just enough to wear a helmet though. There are...

The Best Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle helmets are perhaps the most important piece of protection a cyclist can use. Head injuries are the leading cause of bicyclist fatalities, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, and helmets may prevent up to ...

The Types of Bicycle Helmets

Helmets have become adapted to different types of riding, like bicycles themselves. Bicycle helmets come in all types, designs and color schemes. Finding the right "lid" for your ride has never been so easy. Helmet manufacturer...

Choosing a Bicycle Helmet

According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI), the average bike rider crashes about once for every 4,500 miles of riding. The BHSI cites medical research that helmets can prevent 85 percent of cyclist head injuries; t...

How to Adjust a Bicycle Helmet

If you crash your bike or get hit by a car, a helmet can save your life. But it isn't enough to simply place the helmet onto your head. This safety equipment needs to be adjusted properly so it fits snugly around your head, pro...

Information on Bicycle Helmets

In 2001, children younger than 15 accounted for 59 percent of all cycling-related cases treated in U.S. emergency rooms. Given these alarming numbers, the question is not whether it is necessary to wear a helmet, but rather wh...

How to Pick a Bicycle Helmet

Bicycle riders fall an average of every 4,500 miles, and head injuries incurred in bicycle accidents account for approximately 75 percent of the 700 annual bicycle deaths in the United States, according to the Bicycle Helmet Sa...

Bicycle Helmet Information

If you are riding a bicycle, you should be wearing a bicycle helmet. Whether you are a first-time biker, or a die-hard cyclist, you need a helmet to protect your head. Even careful bikers are at risk for accidents, and the last...

How to Adjust the Straps on Bicycle Helmets

To be able to perform its function, the straps on a bike helmet must be sturdy enough to stay in the correct position and to provide a snug fit. Adjusting the straps on bicycle helmets each time you participate in this form of ...

How to Fit a Bicycle Helmet

Head injuries from bike accidents can be devastating, but damage can be controlled and sometimes even avoided by wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that ...

How to Buy a Bicycle Helmet

A bicycle helmet is a must if you are planning to ride a bike. According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration, head and brain injuries are 85 percent to 88 percent less likely during a biking accident if you ar...

The Advantages of Wearing Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle helmets are becoming standard safety equipment for cyclists on roads and mountain bike trails, and for children as well. Not many years ago, however, wearing a bicycle helmet was uncommon. Considering the advantages of ...

Importance of Wearing a Bicycle Helmet

What's made of plastic, costs less than $30 and can protect you from life-threatening head injuries? A bicycle helmet, which is a vitally important piece of safety equipment that protects against injury. Just as important as we...

How to Size a Bicycle Helmet

Bicycle helmets are, in some areas, required by law. Even if the law doesn't require adults to wear a helmet, children may still need to do so. There's little doubt that helmets are useful, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safet...

Why Should Children Wear Bicycle Helmets?

Children are fearless and bound to get some scrapes while they're having fun on their bikes. While you can't protect them from everything, a helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment your child has. Buy her first h...

Bicycle Helmet Safety Facts

Wearing a bicycle helmet has become a habit for many bicyclists. It's a good thing, because most riders realize that they are at risk every time they take to the open road. It's not only the risk of their own riding--they have ...

How to Wear Bicycle Helmets

Bicycle helmets are an essential piece of equipment for anyone wanting to ride a bike safely. Helmets protect your head in the event of a crash. They come in sizes made for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. There are som...