The History Of Motorbike Helmets

 The first motorbike was reported to have been made by Gottlieb Daimler in 1885. At that time, it was built not for speed.. As speed is not being a factor, no one really thought of motorbike helmets. Probably, the motorbike helmets were not at all necessary in the beginning. Nobody imagined about wearing motorbike helmets when the speed was not an issue and the roads were not filled with millions of motor vehicles. However, as public started to demand the need for speed, motorcycles were made to go faster. Between 1931 and 1953, the speed of motorbikes increased, as people started to show interest in riding motorbikes and passion for speeding. As the speed increases, so did the number of accident fatalities. In 1953, Mr. Lombard applied for a patent for his helmet. This was the foundation of the development of the modern-day motorbike helmet. The standard had been set, and helmet manufacturers quickly followed Lombard’s guide.

Since the first motorbike helmet was introduced, safety agencies, many of them government, recognized the need for head protection for riders. The number of head and neck injuries was increasing, so the use of helmets had been verified in order to reduce the number of accidents. So the safety agencies lobbied for compulsory helmet laws. In 1961, the world’s first mandatory motorbike helmet law was passed on and the safety agencies really got into the act. In 1966, throughout the controversy over mandatory helmet laws, helmet manufacturers did what they could to present better protection to riders. In 1967, the first full facial helmet was introduced, providing improved vision. Stronger and lighter helmet was developed, giving motorbike riders more comfort and more protection. In the 1970s, technology created an improved use of energy- absorbing equipment and better eye protection. Finally in 1974, U.S department of transportation introduced federal motor vehicle safety standards for motorbike helmets. It turns out that many people found motorbike helmets to be too silly in looks or too-un-cool to wear. Following the order was the only way to make sure that they received funds for the highway maintenance and construction that was needed. The motorbike riders argued that in should not affect anyone else if they were injured or killed in a crash. Well, they were wrong about that! As people get order, they feel a stronger need for freedom, which includes the freedom to ride their motorcycle without a helmet. Again, the results speak for themselves – no helmets, more deaths.

            There is an important source of crash data and that is the U.S.C. hurt traffic accident survey. Dr. Hurts has attended over 900 motorbike traffic accidents and analyzed over 3600 motor cycle accident reports.

            Motorbike Helmets are now manufactured by about hundred companies. When you buy a helmet, the most important thing to remember is to get a Snell and DOT (department of transportation) certified helmets, which fits and feels good. In those cases, wearing a motorbike helmet makes the difference of your life and death.