Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Know About The Importance Of Wearing Road Bike Helmets

By Micah Ferguson


Biking is a sport that is enjoyed not only by professionals but everybody. The spring breeze and the gentle sun and trees motivate individuals to get off the couch and go cycling, whether for a walk around the neighborhood, a quick trip to the cafeteria, resolution or as an alternative mode of transportation when going to work. Fun and safety in biking works hand in hand and thus, bikers need to know the rules and protect themselves through the use a number or road safety gears such as road bike helmets, gloves, mouth guards, etc.

Everyday, a number of biking accidents resulting to head injuries are being reported. Even recent studies showed that the past years have observed an increase in the number of bicycle related injuries. In the UK alone, the Department of Transport reported an 11% increase on the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured on the roads in the past three years. With this increasing number of biking related accidents, it is a must that bikers-regardless of skill or confidence level-put on special gears designed to protect themselves, especially that accidents may happen even to the most skilled or confident biker.

A number of safety gears should be worn when cycling. Among those, the most important are road bike helmets. These safety gears are designed to protect the head during an accidental fall. They are designed with thick foam on the inside that cushions the head from blows during accidents and, hence, saves the brain from further injuries. Helmets also feature a thick shell on the outside that keeps the foam in once piece and also prevents the neck from being jerked by allowing the head to skid the street during inevitable accidents.

Head injury can mean a brain injury which is why it is so important that cyclist wear their road bike helmets always. It does not mean reckless but is a means to provide some protection for your face, head, and brain in case you fall down. Bicycle helmets are said to reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85% and reduce the risk of brain injury by as much as 88%.

Aside from road bike helmets, other must have biking safety gears are gloves, mouth guards, and active lights. Gloves are biking safety gears designed to protect the palms of the hands especially when accidentally falling on pavements. Also, these protective items are also aimed at protecting the hands from compression stress from the handlebars during long bike rides. Mouth guards or jaw-joint protectors are another safety gears that should be worn by bikers. These gears help prevent blows to the chin during accidents by stabilizing the jaw. Finally are active lights which are especially important for bikers riding their bikes during the night.

Road bike helmets, gloves, etc. are safety gears that provide good protection against accidents, and hence, should always be worn by cyclists. Nonetheless, no safety gear is safe enough for a reckless biker. As such, the safest way to stay safe when biking is riding safely and obeying the rules of the road.




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