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Child Motorcycle Helmet
Choosing a Child Motorcycle Helmet
Choosing the right motorcycle helmet for your child is a
very important decision. Issues of safety, comfort and
parental finances must all be taken into account when
choosing a child motorcycle helmet.
The Brain Injury Association of New jersey has released
some sobering figures to take into account when choosing
a child motorcycle helmet. Among the association’s
findings is that more than 80 per cent of all motorcycle
crashes result in injury or death – but that motorcycle
helmets are 67 per cent effective in preventing brain
injuries.
So it is not a question of IF to buy a child motorcycle
helmet, but which helmet will best protect your child.
The first thing to look for is both Dot and Snell
approval stickers. While no helmet can be sold in the US
without a DOT approval sticker, Snell stickers are not
required by law. But buying a helmet that has both
stickers will give you more confidence in the motorcycle
helmet you choose for your child.
Snell tests motorcycle helmets before approving them,
while DOT (Department of Transport) approval is
dependent on tests carried out by the manufacturer. To
have both stickers on the helmet you buy covers all the
bases.
The next question is whether or not the helmet is right
for your child. A heavy helmet gives good protection to
the head, but as Snell points out, may prove to be too
heavy for the child’s muscle strength. The helmet will
protect the head, but the weight may lead to loss of
control, resulting in a crash that might not have
happened if the child had been wearing a lighter
motorcycle helmet.
But the trouble with choosing a lighter child motorcycle
helmet is that it may not give good protection. But a
well fitting child motorcycle helmet designed to be worn
by a child will give better protection and be easier for
the child to wear than an adult helmet which might be
too heavy or loose and simply come off during a crash.
The right child motorcycle helmet won’t come cheap, but
compared to what can happen to your child if he or she
is not wearing the right helmet, or not wearing a helmet
at all, price should not be an issue. In fact, if your
finances stop you providing the right head protection
for your child, don’t let your child ride a motorcycle
until you can afford it.
When you take your child to choose a motorcycle helmet,
he or she will naturally want the best looking graphics,
but always try the helmet on first. Make sure it fits
correctly, and that it is not too loose or too heavy.
Check with a helmet size chart that includes different
makes and hat sizes equivalents can vary among
manufacturers.
As a starting guide, the MSR starlet child motorcycle
helmet is made especially for little girls, and is both
DOT and Snell approved. It comes in a brilliant design
of black and fuchsia that your motorcycling little girl
will love.
The Fox Racing V3 Octane Youth Helmet is expensive but
it exceeds both Dot and Snell standards, gives
protection without being too heavy and looks incredible.
You will find a wide choice of helmets available when
you go looking for a child motorcycle helmet. Just
remember to make sure it fits properly, is light but
strong, and has both DOT and Snell approval, regardless
of the price tag.
About the Author
Gail Kavanagh is a freelance writer living in
Queensland, Australia. A former newspaper journalist,
Gail has written for anthologies and for print and
online publications, as well as a number of content
sites. She writes an astrology column for Coffee Cramp
Magazine, is the editor of The Kitchen Herbal at
www.openhearth.com and the author of several books at
www.lulu.com/kavanaghsattic including The Working
Writer's Market Guide. Gail's website is
http://www.valeofavondale.com. She is a regular contributor to
http://My-Motorcycle-Helmet.com
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