Risk Management Magazine

Several years ago, I experienced an event that altered my family’s life. While riding my Harley-Davidson Road King, I was struck head-on by a pickup truck. From my perspective, there was nothing I could have done to prevent this accident. On the other hand, the young man driving the pickup could have done several things differently, most notably, recognizing the right of way.

It’s clear motorcycle helmets save lives. To help protect the lives of riders, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires all motorcycle helmets sold in the United States meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218. This standard defines minimum levels of performance that helmets must meet to protect the head and brain in the event of a crash.

Motorcycling is a lifelong learning process. Far too often riders think after a few years and a few thousand miles that they know it all. That concept can be fatal.