Use Of Sports Helmet Safety

By: Jason Petrina




It is extremely important to wear a safety helmet when you are rollerblading, cycling, scootering, or even skateboarding. Many people do not consider wearing such a simple device when riding because they find it to be inconvenient and a hassle, but it also life-threatening when they don’t. Studies have proven 85% of head injuries were reduced when wearing a helmet. In some states, it is the law to wear a helmet if you under the age of eighteen; unfortunately, by not wearing helmets, it is the number one disabler and killer among American children.

When wearing a helmet, proper fitting is essential, the helmet must fit your head snuggly and correctly. The helmet should not be able to slip off your head, so you should evenly adjust the side straps just below your ear. Do not adjust the side straps till the point it touches the ear, it can give you a headache after awhile. To properly put on a helmet make sure the chin strap should be firmly buckled around your chin; this secures the helmet on your head and properly protects you. To ensure that your straps are tight, use the one finger test between the strap and the chin, if you can fit more than one finger, the straps should be re-adjusted for a snug fit. Also, the helmet should not be slanted back, the helmet should be placed low on your forehead, it should not be placed on any angle. Another tip is yawning, if your helmet moves a lot, re-adjust to make sure it doesn’t move that much.

When purchasing a helmet, there are many factors to consider. The helmet should meet the safety standards of the government, such as the Consumer Safety Standards or the American National Standards Institute. Make sure the helmet fits you snuggly in the first place. If you are able to move the helmet around, I suggest you purchase additional padding strips, so it fits your head snuggly or you can try a different size or model. Another factor is that the helmet shouldn’t be too tight that ventilation does not go through, there should be comfort when wearing a helmet, but there should also be enough padding as well.

Remember not to reuse the same helmet after it has been into an accident, replace it with a new helmet. If the accident wasn’t that critical, you can always contact the manufacture to perform an inspection, they can tell you if you need a new replacement. I highly recommend not purchasing a second-hand helmet because there are usually tiny cracks that cannot be visible on the surface; therefore, that reduces the helmet’s ability to prevent head injuries in the future.

Encourage young children to wear safety helmets when riding, tell them many professional athletes wear it. You can also set a perfect example by wearing a safety helmet yourself when riding. Some children may not understand the logic of wearing a safety helmet, you can use a melon to demonstrate the consequences of not wearing a safety helmet. You can also you reasoning to get their attention, you punish them if they not wear helmet by not letting them riding the bike for a week or two. It is better for young children to get in the habit of wearing safety helmets, they are more aware of the safety precautions at a young age.

Safety helmets are basically very important necessity when riding. However, you can be very creative with your helmet and let your children select a helmet that suits their liking. There is such a large variety of helmet designs from manufacturers. For an inexpensive helmet design, I suggest you purchase stickers to place on a colorful helmet. It is best to be “safe than sorry” in the end.



Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com