How are you wearing your Helmet

Every time the kids put on their bike helmet they seem to have chosen a new way to wear it. Often we have the French beret style worn to the side. Another common look is the helmet way up high or worn right back on the head so the entire forehead is exposed. The straps also get in on the action and end up all over the place or twisted.

The correct fitting of your helmet is necessary if your helmet is going to work. Teach the kids the correct fitting of their helmet and they are great at taking responsibility. If they are not old enough yet, start training them early.

Remember lead by example and make sure your helmet is adjusted correctly first.

We all understand that we need to wear a bike helmet, but are we wearing them correctly?

A goRide SERIES ON Finding out about BIKE GEAR – The Helmet.

To follow are the rules to correctly fit your helmet, a wriggle test, and a quick pre-ride check to help you achieve the safety you paid for. There are a number of different styles and types of helmets available. However the rules for fitting remain pretty consistent between helmets.

Apply the 2v2 rule.

• 2 – the helmet should sit level on the head. The front of the helmet should sit no more than 2 finger breadths above the eyebrows.
• v – the side straps make a V with the adjustable clip forming the bottom of the V just below the ear lobe.
• 2 – you should be able to get a maximum of 2 fingers under the chin strap when fastened. The straps should not be twisted
  

  

A lot of helmets come with the capacity to tighten at the back of the head (this is known as the rear or occipital fastener/stabiliser). The adjustable mechanisms used for tightening will vary between helmets. Whatever the mechanism this aids in getting the helmet to fit snuggly to our different sized and shaped heads. However the rear stabiliser does not substitute for correct positioning of straps. Position and tighten the straps first these are the most important then fine tune with the rear fastener.

Now we are going to wriggle the helmet to make sure there is only a little movement. Place the palm of your hand on the front of the helmet, push up and backward to see if you can expose the forehead. Repeat at the back pushing up and forward. Also repeat on each side of the helmet to check for side to side movement. If the helmet has a lot of movement (more than 2cm) consider if you have everything adjusted correctly as described above or whether the helmet is the correct size.  Your helmet needs to stay on and over your head during an impact.  Often there may be more than one impact in an accident e.g. impact into a car and onto the road.

Great, finished your set up? Now a quick pre-ride check , yes a helmet check that you do before you goRide – so you can goRide more places more often.

1. is it level – around the head, no tilting
2. is it low – sitting just above the eyebrows
3. is it snug – does it fit snug not tight on your head, are the v clips snug below your ears and is the chin strap snug under your chin
4. is it stable – use the palm of your hand to check forward, backward, side to side movement, the movement should be no greater than 2cm

LEVEL, LOW, SNUG, STABLE

Thanks for reading How are you wearing your helmet?  Used together our stories and resources support you to achieve and develop as a rider.  Do it, at your own pace, in your own time, in a fun, supported way – the goRide way.  

Related goRide Resources and Stories

The essential guide to helmets – components and how they work

The essential guide to helmets- a helmet that works for you

3 Top Tips for Helmet Care

goRide is a shared journey, so we would like you to assist in guiding it along the way.   Contact us with your thoughts, comments or feedback.  Thank you for being a part of the goRide way.