Live Smart: Health and Safety Activities for Youth Clubs

Bulletin 907

Helmeting Up!
Finding the Helmet for You!

YOU WILL TEACH CLUB MEMBERS

To pick the right helmet for the sport.

WHAT DO YOU NEED?

Variety of helmets (bicycle, horseback riding, football, motorcycle, etc.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Ask club members: Do you own a helmet? Do you own more than one? When do you wear your helmet(s)?

Ask club members: Why should you wear a helmet?
Answer: Every year, about three million people suffer head injuries from sports-related activities. Helmets can prevent many of the head injuries received during these sports.

Ask club members: When should you wear a helmet?
Answer: Helmets should be worn when snow skiing; skating; canoeing; kayaking; playing football, hockey, or baseball; and when riding horses, bicycles, motorcycles, and all-terrain vehicles like four-wheelers and dirt bikes.

Ask club members: All helmets are the same, right?
Answer: Absolutely not! Helmet manufacturers design helmets for specific sports and purposes.

WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?

Tell club members: Many people believe a helmet is a helmet, but this is not true. Helmets are designed to meet specific needs. The protection a biker needs in a crash is different from the protection a horse rider needs in a fall. Manufacturers design and test their helmets so that they will provide the best protection for each activity.

Some people believe that a bicycle helmet can be used for everything, but that is not the case. Here's why.

• Bicycle helmets are not motorcycle helmets. Motorcycle helmets are designed for very hard impacts. Motorcyclists need this because in a crash, their heads can hit the road surface at 55 MPH or faster.
• Bicycle helmets are not equestrian helmets. Horse riders are higher than bicyclists when they fall. On the ground, horse handlers must also be protected from being kicked by the horse. Helmets used for horseback riding are made to absorb these impacts. They also are shaped differently to protect the back of the riders' head.
• Bicycle helmets are not canoe and kayak helmets. Injuries from whitewater rafting are usually caused by rocks, logs, and other debris. Helmets must be able to stand many small impacts and sharp rocks. Bicycle helmets are made to protect against one single impact, not many.
• Bicycle helmets are not football, hockey, or baseball helmets. Bicycle helmets are designed to protect the head from one hard hit against the road surface. Unlike football and hockey helmets, they cannot stand lots of hard hits. Bicycle helmets also do not protect the ears like sport helmets do.
• Bicycle helmets are for in-line or quad skating. Skating helmets have only recently been introduced. They have been designed like the bicycle helmet to protect during a single hard hit. Both bicycle and skating helmets are required to meet the same standards. For this reason, they can be inter-changed. There is one exception bicycle helmets must not be used for trick skating! There are helmets designed specifically for this. Only bicycle and skating helmets can be inter-changed! All other helmets must be worn for their specific purpose.

Ask club members: Is it okay to share helmets with siblings and friends?
Answer: Yes, but only when the helmet fits both of you properly!

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Make sure your helmet(s) fit properly by trying the following test.

1. Wear the helmet so that it sits flat on your head and does not tilt backwards.
2. Wear the helmet with the chin strap firmly buckled.
3. Make sure the helmet fits snugly, touching all around your head.
4. Check your helmet. It should move very little when pulled in any direction and must not be able to be pulled off.
5. Make sure you can see. A properly fitting helmet should not affect your ability to see.
6. Check your helmet for cracks and damage. If your helmet has been involved in an accident, do not use it. Although the helmet may appear to be fine, small cracks and damage to the foam inside greatly reduce its ability to protect you in a future crash.
7. Replace your helmet when the padding becomes tightly packed after years of use and sweat.

If your helmet does not pass the test, manufacturers recommend purchasing a new one.

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