You may have a handful of excuses for not wearing a helmet on your morning bike ride — it messes up your hair, looks dorky or you don’t need it because you’re a cautious rider. But a helmet is a must-have safety device for every cyclist — it can help protect your head from serious injury.
About 700 bicyclists die each year due to a bicycle-related injury, and more than 500,000 visit the emergency room. Nearly ⅔ of those deaths and ⅓ of those injuries involve the head and face. Don’t take the chance: strap on a helmet every time you ride.
When choosing a bicycle helmet, make sure it is approved by organizations such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or Snell Memorial Foundation. Also, make sure it fits well (it should be snug and you shouldn’t be able to move it too much) and pieces of the helmet (like the straps) don’t obstruct your view.
