Last time, we discussed the benefits of wearing a motorcycle helmet and how helmets reduce the risk of deadly motorcycle accidents. Riders who wear motorcycle helmets have a 29 percent better chance of surviving an accident than riders who do not wear motorcycle helmets. During our last post we also began to discuss how to identify a proper motorcycle helmet.

We began by talking about the physicality of a proper motorcycle helmet. A proper motorcycle helmet will have sturdy chinstraps and solid rivets that connect the chinstraps to the helmet. The helmet should also have a thick inner liner. The lining should be composed of firm polystyrene foam and should be about one inch thick. Unsafe helmets that do not meet federal safety standards have soft foam padding or lack padding completely.

According to the DOT safety standards, proper motorcycle helmets should not have decorations or protrusions that extend further than two-tenths of an inch from the surface of the helmet. Indicative labeling will also tell you whether a particular helmet meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218 or not.

Properly safe helmets that meet the FMVSS 218 standard will have a DOT sticker on the outside of the helmet. The DOT sticker certifies that the helmet meets or exceeds the federal standard. Be aware that retailers that sell novelty helmets also sell separate DOT stickers to place on the outside of the improper helmets. Another label that indicates safety is the manufacturer's label, which is placed on or inside the helmet.

Manufacturers that produce helmets that meet federal standards are required to place such labels. The labels state the manufacturer's name, size, model, month and year of manufacture. Finally, proper helmets will also have a Snell or American National Standards Institute label. Both of these organizations are safety advocates and any Snell or ANSI label indicates the federal safety standard has been met.

Source: nhtsa.gov, "May is motorcycle safety awareness month," 5/16/11