! WARNING
Indicates a potential hazard that could
result in a serious injury or death.
22
Prevention
Helmet
Your helmet is the most important
piece of protective gear for safe riding.
A helmet can prevent a severe head
injury. There are several types of hel-
mets on the market, but make sure you
wear a helmet that complies with the
current standards of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Transportation (DOT), The
Snell Memorial Foundation, or the
American National Standards Institute
(ANSI). Helmets that comply with one
or more of these agency’s standards
have a sticker on the inside or outside
of the helmet.
These helmets should provide full-face
protection.
If you drop or damage your helmet, get
a new one immediately. Your helmet
may not protect your head from injury
if it has cracks, fissures, or other dam-
age to its outside or core padding.
Remember, your helmet won’t do you
any good if the chin strap isn’t fas-
tened.
Eye Protection
Wear eye protection, such as goggles,
to completely surround your eyes to
prevent getting dirt or other items in
your eyes. Do not depend on sun-
glasses for proper eye protection. Sun-
glasses are not recommended; they
don’t prevent objects from flying in
through the sides.
Long Pants and Long
Sleeved Shirt
The goal is to protect your body from
branches, long grass, airborne objects,
or anything else that could scrape your
skin. The more thick and durable the
material, the better protection it’ll pro-
vide. Riding pants with kneepads, a jer-
sey, and shoulder pads provide the best
protection.
TESTIMONIAL
DOCUMENT#:
N490117A1
CITY/STATE:
N. HUNTINGDON, PA
SEX:
M
AGE:
6
BODY PART:
HEAD
DATE ACCIDENT:
14-06-94
DISPOSITION:
DOA
SYNOPSIS:
The 6 year old male victim
died from blunt force trauma to the
head when the 4-wheel ATV on which he
was a passenger struck a rock on a
hill connecting two roads and
flipped over backwards onto the
victim, shattering his bicycle
helmet. The victim was life-flighted
to the hospital and died that night.
The driver of the ATV, the victim’s
29 year old father, sustained minor
injuries, but wasn’t treated.
Helmets should have one of these:
1. DOT label
2. Snell label
3. ANSI Z90.1 label
