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How To Properly Fit a Bicycle Helmet – 5 Guidelines To Keep In Mind

Protect your brain from traumatic brain injury! Without a proper fit, a bicycle helmet won’t actually protect much in the event of an accident, collision or fall, even if you go out and spend $200 on a designer model. In this article, accident attorney, Jeffrey Meldon gives 5 simple guidelines to keep in mind when fitting an adult or child’s helmet.

Your goal – to find a helmet that is level, stable, snug, and comfortable. It’s also a big plus if you like the way it looks-or else you probably won’t wear it.

Keep these five simple guidelines in mind when fitting an adult or children’s helmet:

  1. Proper Size – Not all helmets fit every head shape and size. Try the helmet on before you buy it or use a sizing chart to estimate your size. Go for comfortable. If you don’t like the way it fits, the odds are you won’t wear it.

  2. Make it Snug – But don’t strangle yourself. Adjust the padding, side straps, buckles, and chin strap. The helmet should sit about two finger widths above your eye brows. The chin strap should be tight enough that no more than one or two fingers fit between the strap and your chin.

  3. Use the “Eye-Ear-Mouth test,” developed by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. Follow these steps: 1. When you look up, the front rim should be barely visible to your EYE; 2. The “Y” of the side straps should meet just below your EAR; 3. The chin strap should be snug against your chin so that when you open your MOUTH very wide you feel the helmet pull down a bit.

  4. Avoid “strap creep” after you make initial adjustments. This is when your helmet loosens by itself (because it has non-locking side or chin buckles). To avoid strap creep buy a helmet with locking buckles or you might have to add some stitches to properly secure the straps. https://helmets.org/strapcreep.htm

  5. Do the “shake test.” Once you think the helmet is properly secured, shake your head violently. The helmet should not move more than one inch on your forehead. It should feel level, stable, snug, and comfortable. It should not rock back and forth or into your eyes.

For More Information:

I am local accident attorney Jeffrey Meldon and I strongly believe that public education is the first step in the prevention of and/or recovery from a serious accident. My office and I take pride in our work, and the results we get for our clients.

Meldon Law is a regional law firm that is located in Gainesville, Florida. We are personal injury attorneys, litigators and trial attorneys that have been working to get accident victims the justice they deserve for over 40 years throughout North Florida and all over Florida. Accidents involving a car crash, truck wreck, motorcycle, ATVs, bicycle, pedestrian accidents, and dog bites, slip and falls, medical malpractice, and criminal defense are all included in our practice.

For more information on how we can help you, or with any other question you may have, feel free to contact our office at 800-373-8000.

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