I will start off by saying that I am not a huge fan of motorcycle helmets.
That being said, I do appreciate the idea behind wearing a helmet.
My problem is not with the device itself, my problem is the heat box atmosphere created underneath the helmet when you are riding in extreme temperatures.
It is true that I feel much safer with one on; I am just at my wits end with this Oklahoma heat.
It was 105 degrees today! The five o'clock news said it was hot enough to fry an egg on my car hood.
Riding with my helmet on today? Not a chance! Now do not get me wrong, I would never discourage motorcycle safety in any way.
I believe headgear saves lives.
In most situations wearing a helmet would be the logical thing to do, but it should be an option in regions that reach temperatures of over 100 degrees, right? In the majority of the states with mandatory helmet laws the number of fatalities have dropped, but is that to say that the law is ALWAYS best? Protesters of the law would argue that while the numbers have decreased in fatalities, the 'burden of the cause' of accidents in general has shifted on to the very thing that should be protecting a rider.
In other words, where riders were dying more without helmets due to impact, with the helmets more riders are dying now from the helmet itself.
Although they do serve the purpose of saving your life in the event of a serious wreck, they actually increased the number of heat related accidents, falls, heart attacks, heat stress, and heat strokes.
Having your head in a heat box for longer than a quick ride around the city is dangerous with these summer conditions.
Even then you run the risk of getting stuck in standing traffic.
Usually you are jam-packed onto a highway jigsaw puzzle on your bike for hours with your head seething.
Being in the middle of all those cars and trucks is a roll of the dice.
Around traffic is when you need to be at your sharpest, aware of all the cars that are not aware of you.
However, 'on point' is hardly how you feel at temperatures in the hundreds.
Helmets are made of a non-permeable material that does not allow heat dissipation.
That basically means your head is not able to cool down.
Not letting your noggin' cool down is a fast way to heat stress.
With symptoms like confusion, impaired judgment, irrational behavior, and in severe cases convulsions, the heat can easily lead to ruins.
The wild thing is that laying your bike down might not even be the worst of it.
More serious problems can occur from overexposure to heat, such as sensitivity to heat, varying degrees of brain damage, and damage to vital organs; in extreme cases shutting down organs altogether.
Even the young and healthy are at risk.
More than 20% of victims that suffer from heat stroke die, regardless of their age or health.