California has one of the strictest helmet laws in the country. The statute not only requires that all motorcycle operators wear a helmet, but mandates that passengers do as well. In fact, a passenger wearing a helmet can be ticketed for riding on a bike with an unhelmeted driver.
Because it’s a piece of gear that you need to have, you want a good understanding of what’s available and what you want to see in a motorcycle helmet.
Helmet Style
The first decision you’ll have to make has to do with the style of helmet. There are five different types available:
- Full face—On the full face helmets, there’s a face guard that’s permanently fixed in place
- Modular—On the modular helmet, there’s a hinge that allows you to flip the face guard up, so that you can have an open-faced helmet
- ADV dual sport—Dual sport helmets can be full face, modular or open face, but have a peak or visor built in to shield the sun
- Open face—An open face helmet has no face guard
- Half shell—Half shell motorcycle helmets typically just cover the top of the head, leaving ears exposed
Helmet Features
You need to evaluate three different components of the helmet:
- Shell material—You can get carbon fiber (the most expensive) or polycarbonate (cheaper). Both will absorb and distribute energy, but carbon fiber does a better job. A good compromise can be a fiberglass composite.
- Helmet weight—You don’t want a helmet that weighs more than 1800 grams. Make certain the center of gravity is where it’s supposed to be or you may experience neck and shoulder pain.
- Comfort features—There’s a whole range of additional features that can enhance your riding, from wind noise reduction systems to communications and Bluetooth stereo.
Contact Weber & Nierenberg
At Weber & Nierenberg, we bring more than 30 years of experienced to injured motorcyclists in California. For a confidential consultation with an experienced California motorcycle accident injury lawyer, contact Weber & Nierenberg by e-mail or call us at 1-866-288-6010. There’s no charge for your first meeting.
At Weber & Nierenberg, we emphasize personal service and attention. We’ll take the time to learn exactly what happened, so that we take the right steps to get the outcome you want. When you hire us to protect your rights after a motorcycle accident injury, you’ll have access to one of our partners at all times.