· Electric Scooters Advisories
· Electric Scooters Helmets
· Electric Scooters Protective
Equipment
· Electric Scooters Ridding Tips
· Electric Scooters Ridding Tips II
· Electric Scooters Safety
· Helmet Replacement
· Motorized Scooter Safety
· Scooter & Bike Helmets
· Scooter Safety Guide
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The right time to replace your helmet is dependent on a number of factors.
First, anytime you have crashed and hit your head, regardless if the helmet
appears to be broken or not, you should replace it. The reason is that the
foam that is a core part of the helmet is designed to be used once. Once
the helmet has been in a crash, the foam can no longer offer the appropriate
degree of protection. This would apply to crashes were you can see dents in
the shell or marks on the helmet. If you just tapped your head, the helmet
should be fine.
Many people that have experienced a crash will be reluctant to replace their
helmet, especially if it looks perfectly fine. Just remember, if you hit
hard enough, that foam is going to split apart should you be in another
accident, thus providing little to no protection. If you are not sure about
your particular helmet, contact the manufacturer and ask.
Another consideration for replacement would be if your helmet were constructed
during the 1970's. This is important since helmets during this time did not
have the foam liner. The foam that would warrant a replacement would include
Pro-tec, which is spongy foam, Skidlid, another type of spongy foam, and
Brancale, which are the leather helmets that have no foam at all. While these
helmets may have some nostalgia and look "cool", if you were to be in an
accident, you could suffer severe damage to your head.
Some of the helmets designed in the 1970's were okay. However, they were still
not up to today's standards. If you have a Bailen, MSR, Bell Biker, Supergo,
or other similar models from this era, it is time to get a new, safer helmet.
The problem with these helmets is not the hard shell, but the lack of or the
wrong type of foam. The foam is simply not thick enough for adequate protection.
If your helmet is more recent, look for the sticker on the inside and view the
standards associated with that particular helmet. If the helmet is a Snell or
ASTM, then it meets the current standards. However, if not, you should consider
a replacement. The majority of manufactures are now recommending that any helmet
older than five years should be replaced with a newer one, which is a good
guideline to follow. Remember that your health and safety come over appearance
and style.
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