Brain bucket, crash up, helmet or road rash repellant, whatever works for you, make sure it’s part of your cycling kit. In 2010, Centers for Disease Control and prevention revealed that over 515,000 severe bicycle injuries required emergency care. Over 60% of these injuries could be averted by taking protective measures, the most important which is the bicycle helmet.
When it comes to bicycle related trips, be it cycling as a sport or your normal exercise routine, the helmet is very important because it protects the most vulnerable part of your body that is, the head.
Prevents head injuries
Reports from the American Family Physician revealed that the most severe and fatal cycling accidents are head injuries which could also sometime cause long-term disabilities. The approximate figures of 22 to 47 percent of injured cyclists usually experience injuries to the head, which also accounts for 60 percent of all bike-related deaths.
Also in 2012, Canadian Medical Association Journal published that in 2012, 129 cyclists died between years 2006 and 2009. The researchers found that the deaths owed largely to not wearing a bicycle helmet.
Researchers have discovered that there is a significant cycling mortality and head injury decrease in places that have enacted helmet laws.
Visibility
Riding your bicycle on the road puts you at the risk of various accidents. At times, injuries occur because car drivers don’t see the cyclists clearly. Bicycle helmets often have reflective strips that makes them visible in the evening hours and night. It’s advisable to also choose a brightly colored helmet that can be visible to other road users.