Wearing a helmet while riding a bike should be a no-brainer. Riders shouldn’t have to be reminded of this. Its benefits should be as clear as day. After all, it is a well-known fact that helmets are the only thing standing between life and death during a crash. You shouldn’t have to read statistics to be convinced but alas this is not true. Some are perhap still unconvinced or just plain lazy not to wear one while riding.
This blog is not about why you should wear them; instead, it’s about which helmet to choose. Not all helmets are the same and not all helmets provide you with the same degree of protection. Therefore, selecting the right helmet makes all the difference.
Types of Bike Helmets in Pakistan
Now that you are convinced about their efficacy, you need to know different types of helmets as there are so many, with each having its own pros and cons.
Open face helmet
This is perhaps the most used and bought helmet in Pakistan. Lightweight which offers good ventilation, it is easily and readily available in the market. Since your face is largely exposed, therefore it offers greater visibility. It may or may not come with an adjustable visor. Its benefits aside, this helmet is not worth wearing when riding at fast speeds as your face is exposed and there is no jaw protection. And this is perhaps its biggest drawback as the chin bar is very important. Did you know that in 50 percent of serious accidents, the chin gets hit the first?
Full face helmet
As the name suggests, your face is fully covered with this helmet. However, it is more expensive than the open face helmet. It’s worth it though as it provides you with an extra bit of protection against bad weather or debris and bugs hitting your visor.
Modular helmets
If you are looking for the best urban helmet, a mix of both open face and full face helmets, a modular helmet is it. It provides you both – ventilation and safety. For example, if you are riding on a highway, you can convert it into a full face helmet and when you are stuck in traffic on a hot, sweltering day, you can convert it into an open face helmet.
Motocross helmets
This is perhaps the only helmet which provides maximum ventilation. It is like a full face helmet without its weight and visibility restriction. A light weight helmet that provides good visibility, Motocross helmets are meant for off-roading and not for normal, day-to-day city use.
Which bike helmet in Pakistan should you choose for yourself?
The following table should help you finalize your choice of helmet.
| Type | When to wear | Speed |
| Open face helmet | Daily within the city rides | Less than 60 Km/h |
| Full face helmet | Same as above but at a higher speed | 60-100 Km/h |
| Modular helmet | Best of the above two, especially if you can afford it | 60-100 Km/h |
| Motocross helmet | Best for off-roading, not for normal riding | Varies |
What to look for when buying a bike helmet in Pakistan?
Since a bike’s helmet’s primary job is to keep you safe from head injuries, therefore, your foremost priority should be to look for the one which is made of the best materials. After that, you should make sure that it fits and then rate it based on how comfortable it is.
Safety
A bike helmet is made up of the following parts or layers:
- Inner liner – Made up of expanded polystyrene (EPS), this layer absorbs the shock during an accident.
- Comfort liner – Padding inside the helmet which is often mistaken for a protective layer.
- EPS foam – For the protection of face and chin.
Now that you know the general makeup of a helmet, what to look for when choosing a bike helmet?
- Shell-built design – This factor alone determines whether you should buy a helmet or not. Its importance can be gauged from the fact that it protects your head from directly hitting the road during an accident. Get the helmet with thermoplastic or reinforced composite shell-like polycarbonate.
- Impact-absorbing liner – Helmet’s inner liner which absorbs the impact. It also provides comfort to the top of the head.
- Chin strap – As already mentioned above, chin gets the first hit in 50 percent of the accidents. In addition, without it, a helmet will not snuggly fit.
Size
Motorcycle helmets usually come in these shapes:
- Neutral
- Round, and
- Oval
And they are available in the following sizes:
- S – Small
- M – Medium
- L – Large
- XL – Extra Large
A perfectly fitted bike helmet should initially feel tight as the cushioning and pedding gets compressed over time, making it feel more comfortable. The rule of thumb is to make sure your cheeks are always in touch with the helmet.
The best way to go about getting a bike helmet is to put it on before buying it.
Comfort
Comfort here essentially means ventilation and noise reduction.
Ventilation
Breathability is important especially in a country like Pakistan where there are long summers and shorter winters.
Noise
A snuggly fitted helmet will reduce the outside noise. You can further reduce it with earplugs.
Bike helmet standards
There are various helmet standards. However, don’t be surprised if you are a bit confused about reading them as no one standard is universally accepted.
SHARP: Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme is a motorcycle helmet rating system in the UK. It was established to improve motorcycle safety on public roads.
FIM: FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE MOTOCYCLISME is the standard for motorcycle helmets for use in professional motorcycle racing.
SNELL: Named after famous race car driver Pete Snell who died in a car crash, the SNELL testing and certification are voluntary and promote helmet safety.
ECE: The Economic Commission for Europe, this is the motorcycle helmet safety standard adopted by many European countries.
DOT: The U.S. Department of Transportation sets the standard for all motorcycle helmets in the US. It is pertinent to mention here that DOT does not manufacture or approve helmets. It simply makes sure that the helmets manufactured in the US are meeting the set standards.
Bike helmet price in Pakistan: How much should you spend on it?
You can get a bike helmet for as low as Rs.1000 and as high as Rs.25,000 if not more. However, now that you know that the most expensive helmet is not necessarily the safest, you know what to look for when buying a helmet.
If the best helmet is out of your reach, always remember that some protection is better than no protection.
What to take away from this blog
If you are a scroller and haven’t read the entire blog, we urge that you do. However, if you’re short on time, here’s the summary:
- Thou shalt wear a helmet – Believe it or not, it’s the law in Pakistan. Don’t believe it? Read Section 89-A of the Provincial Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965. You can be fined for not wearing the helmet.
- Only buy the full face helmet as it is the safest.
- Your helmet needs to have: Shell-built design, impact-absorbing liner, and chin strap.
- Cost of the helmet doesn’t matter, it’s the build quality that matters.
We hope you’ve found this information helpful. Please make sure you wear a helmet while riding. Let us know if there’s anything else you’d like to know about helmets. Also, feel free to share your own tips on buying the best helmet.
You may also like to read:
Car Safety Standards in Pakistan: An Unhurried Approach Towards Adopting Global Safety Standards
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