Bicycle Safety

Helmet - Correct and Incorrect way to wear your helmet Bicycle Helmet Safety Guide

A Fall at Any Speed Can Cause Serious Head Injuries!

A Bicycle Helmet is headgear that is especially made to protect your head in a fall. Bicycle helmets can reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 percent. Most deaths related to bicycle falls and collisions involve head injuries. This means wearing a helmet can save your life!

A fall can happen even to the most careful rider. Bicycle crashes don't only happen in the street, they can happen in driveways, on bike paths, and on sidewalks or anywhere someone is careless. It's as important to wear a helmet as it is to buckle up in a car!

Wear a helmet every time you ride a bike. You never know when something will happen.

Do you really need to wear a bicycle helmet?

Yes. Each year, bicycle-related deaths number about 900, and hospital emergency rooms treat more than 500,000 people for bicycle-related injuries. More children, ages 5 to 14, go to hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with bicycles than with any other sport. Many of these injuries involve the head. If you do not wear a bicycle helmet, you are risking your life.

The State of Maine now requires all persons under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle helmet when riding in public ways.

Buying a Helmet

Try on several different helmets before you purchase one. The best way to gauge comfort level and fit is through comparison. The helmet should fit comfortably all the way around your head. Additional pads can be used to make it snug.
Pay attention to the chin strap. Make sure that the chin strap fits around your ear and under your chin snugly and comfortably. The helmet should not shift on your head.
Know how a helmet should fit. A helmet is meant to be worn low on the forehead, just above your eyebrows. Look into a mirror or have a friend/parent help you determine the proper fit.
A helmet should be easy to adjust properly.
Check for the certification sticker.
A light-colored helmet can be seen better than a dark one.

Fitting your Helmet

Be sure you helmet fits well. Adjust it to your head and make sure it covers your forehead.
Be sure the chin strap is tight enough to keep your helmet from slipping forward over your face or backward off your forehead. If you wear your helmet too far back it won't provide enough protection for your forehead. Your forehead usually hits the ground first in a fall.
You should be able to slip only two fingers under you chin strap. Always buckle your chin strap.
You should not be able to move the helmet in any direction, back-to-front or side-to-side.
If needed, helmet sizing pads can help improve the fit.
Put you name and phone number inside your helmet in case it gets lost or you get in an accident.

Important Helmet Information

Wear a helmet that is made specifically for bicycling and approved by ASTM, CSA or Snell. Never substitute a hockey or baseball helmet for a cycling helmet. A cycling helmet is made to absorb a crash differently. It is designed to shatter on impact and soften the blow to your head.
If you have been in an accident and your helmet has been hit, don't use it again. Once your helmet has been in an accident, small invisible cracks can weaken its shell and the foam can get crushed. Buy a new helmet!