Helmets - Yes or no?
Spoiler alert, the answer is yes.
Helmets have been an ongoing discussion in the micro-mobility world with particular regard to the electric scooter. This makes sense, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in sales of privately-owned electric scooters (have you gotten yours, yet?) over the past year and the question of safety should be one not only on your mind, but those of your respective governing bodies as well.
Given that scooters can accelerate up to 25km/h, falling off one may not be as fun as riding one in the first place.
Helmets mandates, however, vary from place to place. The EU hasn’t harmonized legislation for it just yet, and in many countries there is no helmet law, or the enforcement of helmet laws are at the behest of local governments.
For example, in Rhyde’s home of beautiful sunny España, legislation was just recently introduced obliging all riders to wear helmets, at risk of a penalty, when this was a regional law before.
It reads: "The driver and occupants of motor vehicles and mopeds are obliged to use seat belts, helmets and other protective elements in the terms to be determined by regulation. The driver of a personal mobility vehicle shall be obliged to wear a protective helmet under the terms determined by regulation."
Countries like France and Sweden have declared helmets to be necessary but the law only apples to riders under a specific age. In countries like South Korea and Japan, the electric scooter is classed as motorcycle, meaning they fall under their respective Road Traffic Acts, and all rider are required to wear helmets. For maximum clarity, you can consult the local laws in your area but if you ask us, you should wear one anyway. It’s easier as we’re sure no policeman would pull you over for committing the crime of wearing a helmet. Apart from being statements of both fashion and your dedication to road safety, they protect, well, your head. And we think that’s pretty cool.
Besides acting as a model board to fit your lovely facial features and occasionally as an illegal weapon for underground MMA fights, your head houses something generally very difficult to fix and near-impossible to replace - your brain.
Here’s a link to a webMD slideshow that’ll give you a more in-depth look at head injuries but to put things simply, your brain lives in your skull and is cushioned by membrane and fluids for extra padding.
The reason it’s got Jay-Z level security is that it doesn’t like to be shaken, nor stirred. If something causes it impact, you risk bruising, broken blood vessels or nerve damage. And while you may be tempted to write off the possible severity of a webMD article (you’ve got foot fungus and therefore have 2 days to live) we assure you, a head injury is nothing to shrug off - it can kill you. In a study of 6,000 bike-related injuries, riders had a 52% lower risk of brain injury and 44% lower risk of death when wearing a helmet. There is no reason not to wear one.
Electric scooters are replaceable, but you’re one of a kind. At this moment in time, rhyde is not able to refurbish human beings, no matter how good your warranty coverage is. Do us a favor, wear a helmet when you ride. And if your wondering where to look for one, click here and we’ll help you out.
