Tips on choosing a safe, DOT-approved motorcycle helmet
Motorcycle helmets with Mohawks? Helmets with spikes, and even helmets modeled after comic book characters sound amusing.
But as a lawyer who helps people injured in motorcycle accidents, I can tell you that if you are wearing one of these helmets and are hurt in a crash on your motorcycle, the defense lawyer and insurance company will be raising this helmet as part of your own “comparative fault” – even if you are completely innocent and were hurt by someone else. The lawyer will say your injuries would not have been as severe if you were wearing a safer, DOT approved helmet.
First, a little background: after Gov. Snyder’s repeal of Michigan’s motorcycle helmet law, these novelty helmets, which do not meet DOT safety standards, are now flying off the shelves, according to a recent MLive story: Novelty helmet sales spike, regulation motorcycle helmet sales drop after repeal.
But at what price?
A novelty helmet costs on average $40 to $50, while a traditional helmet costs around $100. That $50 in savings can literally cost you your life.
I cannot stress how absolutely dangerous it is to wear a novelty helmet while riding a motorcycle. Because these helmets are not DOT approved, there is no guarantee that they are strong enough to protect your head or stay secure in the event of a motorcycle accident.
According to MotorCycle Half Helmet, novelty helmets are like a bowl with a chin strap. They provide no wrap-around protection for a rider’s face and there is no visor. They have less interior padding under a fiberglass shell than a Department of Transportation-approved helmet.
They are purely for looks.
The Mlive story focused on Saginaw, Michigan, where motorcycle shop owners stated that sales of their novelty helmets have spiked, while sales of the DOT-approved helmets are stagnant.
Motorcycle accident deaths and injuries have also spiked in Michigan since the motorcycle helmet repeal, which allows Michigan motorcyclists to ride without a helmet, and puts their lives in great danger.
Here are some tips to choosing a safe, DOT approved helmet. Your life is at stake. Please wear one!
