Do Motorcycle Helmets Interfere with the Vision and Hearing of Riders? | Bellevue Washington Motorcycle Accident Attorney

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study to address the long standing debate regarding helmet use for motorcycle riders.  Some believe that a motorcyclist wearing a helmet is effective in reducing injuries, but that the helmet will cause the rider to be more likely to crash due to vision imparements and difficulty hearing.

In the study, 50 motorcyclists drove their own motorcycles on a 5.5 mile 4-lane divided highway. The motorcyclists varied in age and drove the test route 3 times: once wearing a full coverage helmet, once wearing a partial coverage helmet and once without a helmet.

To test the riders' vision, a car followed the rider and after an audible signal, the rider was to rotate their head to check for traffic before changing lanes.  The volume of the signal would be changed periodically to test the riders' ability to hear.

The results for the vision test showed that to compensate for their lateral vision lost from wearing the helmet, the rider had to rotate their head more than when they were not wearing a helmet.  There was no apparent inability to see traffic or increased time needed to check the adjacent lane.

The results for the hearing test also did not show any major imparements with helmet use.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, call the Bellevue motorcycle accident attorney at the Andrew Kim Law Firm.    In Bellevue and surrounding areas, call (425) 289-1990.  In the Tacoma/South Sound area, call (253) 682-2000.  You can also reach our office toll free at (800) 636-3676.