Expert advice! Different needs, types, materials...how to choose a helmet?
The Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has launched a "Helmet Belt" safety operation in China. Starting from June 1, motorcycle riders who do not wear safety helmets will be strictly investigated, and electric bicycles that do not wear safety helmets will continue to be publicized and guided.
Why wear a helmet? More than 60,000 people die in traffic accidents in China each year, with two-wheeler riders accounting for more than 41 percent of the deaths, ranking first. Among motorcycle and electric bicycle drivers, about 80 percent of the deaths are caused by craniocerebral injuries.
The correct use of helmets can greatly reduce the direct injury of the accident to the cyclist, and effectively reduce the mortality rate. The poor quality of the helmet can not play the proper protective role on the head, and even may cause secondary injuries due to the collision of the parts broken.
Helmets have been used for a long time. Primitive people hunted wild animals and fought with coconut shells and large tortoise shells to protect their heads. With the development of metallurgy technology and the need of war, people invented metal helmets, such as the copper helmet of Yin Ruins in China. Later, scientists improved the helmet according to the structure of the woodpecker's head, resulting in today's common helmet.
Wang Fang, associate professor of the School of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, said that helmets are usually composed of a shell, a lining, goggles and other parts.The shell is generally made of engineering plastic (common ABS and PC materials) or glass fiber, and the material is hard, which can avoid the direct impact of the head and the ground and other hard objects. The greater the strength of the shell, the more resistant to the external impact on the head. Among them, glass fiber hardness is the highest, followed by PC material, again ABS.
lining is a buffer layer, mostly foam materials (such as polystyrene foam EPS), the material is soft, can absorb the impact energy of the head, in order to reduce the risk of head injury.
How to choose a good quality helmet?
"According to different needs, cyclists can choose different types of helmets." Wang Fang said. Helmets can be roughly divided into full helmets, half helmets and 3/4 helmets. Full helmets can protect everything from the top of the head to the chin, the best effect, suitable for use in more complex traffic environments, but poor air permeability. Half helmets are convenient to wear, the price is relatively low, but the scope of protection is limited, and the risk of injury to cyclists is still relatively large. Therefore, half helmets are mostly suitable for short-distance travel and frequently taken off. 3/4 helmets take into account the protection range and breathability, suitable for four seasons.
In addition, you must look for the CCC certification mark on the certificate when purchasing the helmet. Motorcycle helmet needs to pass the national standard GB811-2010 "Motorcycle occupant helmet" mandatory testing and certification, bicycle helmet also has the corresponding national standard, that is, the national standard GB24429-2009 "Sports helmet bicycle, skateboard, roller skating helmet safety requirements and test methods". There is no corresponding national standard for electric vehicle helmets, and consumers can buy motorcycle or bicycle helmets that meet the standard according to their needs.
Choose a helmet that fits your head circumference. Run a soft ruler around your eyebrows and ears. The resulting number is your head circumference. Choose a helmet based on the circumference of your head and make sure you wear it with a finger gap between the back of your head and the inside of the helmet. When the helmet is on, there should be room for two fingers between the buckle and the chin.
There are also rules for wearing the helmet. Wear the helmet horizontally, do not tilt forward or back. Leaning forward will prevent the helmet from protecting the forehead effectively, and leaning back will block the view. The buckle should always be fastened, otherwise the protection will be almost zero.
helmet if there has been any collision, must be replaced in time, otherwise there is a safety hazard.