National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA)’s findings show that some novelty helmet users attempt to make their helmets appear to be compliant with DOT standards by misleadingly attaching stickers that have the appearance of  legitimate DOT certification stickers. Sellers and distributers of these labels claim that those letters coincidentally resemble the legitimate certification labels and that they stand for something other than “Department of Transportation”.

Now, NHTSA is taking action, to make it more difficult to label novelty helmets misleadingly, effective May 2013, with a new rule, the certification labels on motorcycle helmets are going to change as follows: “DOT FMVSS No.218 Certified”. Review the full rule here.

So, what is the meaning of this sticker, what does it mean to be DOT compliant? In 1973, National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) issued a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218 for Motorcycle Helmets. The standard, specifying a set of safety performance requirements, is aimed towards reducing motorcycle deaths caused by traumatic brain injury and other types of head injury. And a DOT sticker on a helmet indicates that it fulfills the requirements of FMVSS No.218.

But today not all riders wear helmets that are FMVSS No.218 compliant. According to NHTSA, a significant number of riders wear novelty helmets. Tests performed by NHTSA showed that novelty helmets fail the safety performance requirements specified in the standard and that they will not protect the riders during a crash and will not likely be retained on the riders’ heads in case of crashes.

Figures below show American motorcyclists by helmet type and helmet use by region (source: Traffic Safety Facts, Research Note, NHTSA).

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According to a research from Swinton Bikes, UK’s largest high street insurance retailer, women riders take the lead in biker safety. Swinton’s research shows that women are safer riders and tend to show more interest in advanced rider development training and safety courses compared to men. Swinton’s research also finds men more reluctant in taking up further training after obtaining a motorcycle test.

Swinton Bikes has seen a 14% increase in the number of women seeking bike insurance quotes compared to this time last year.

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Vespa scooter

So, you have decided to own a scooter, congratulations!

Scooters are fun, they are stylish, they come in different shapes and colors, some have retro looks, some look modern and futuristic, each of them has its own character. No matter which one you pick, at the end of the day, they are all environmentally friendly and a cheap alternative to a car, especially with today’s rising gas prices.

Do you know how to ride? If not, don’t worry, operating a motor scooter is easy, operating it safely is NOT.

Compared to a car, a scooter operation requires more skill and coordination. You have to keep an eye out for cars all the time. You need to make sure you remain visible to the drivers and anticipate what might happen at all times. For example, you need to anticipate that drivers making left turns may not see you and be prepared to make defensive maneuvers. Many crashes occur from other motorists not seeing the scooter and turning into its path. You need to be cautious when riding in bad weather conditions, on slippery surfaces and when encountering obstacles. Ejection from the scooter is the most common injury path. There are no airbags and seat belts to protect you, when you are ejected, be ready to hit the ground. So, it is very important to wear protective gear, such as a helmet and protective clothing at all times. For more information, please read about the anatomy of a motorcycle crash at the NHTSA website.

In many states, you are not required to obtain a motorcycle license in order to operate scooters up to 50cc. You can easily find out about the requirements of your state through your regional DMV’s website.

If you are not required to get a motorcycle license, the best way to learn is to attend MSF’s half day Introduction to Scooters (IS) class, the alternate way is to have someone teach you. If you don’t know anyone who can teach you, you can attend a training course offered by another provider.

This is a repost of the article “…where to start” posted on 02/22/2011 under our Technicalities section.

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APC Systems is a Spanish company, developing and manufacturing motorcycle helmets with airbags. In order to develop the safety technology, the company carries out many types of crash tests and uses the data obtained through these tests to further improve their safety technologies. Some of these crash tests simulate scooter riders hit by vehicles and vehicles hit by scooters.

We wanted to share APC’s crash test videos with you, as these remind us one more time of the importance of wearing helmets while riding. Watch for yourselves. It already looks bad with the helmet, but don’t forget the impact the skull would take would be much more without the helmet.

Also read:

Half face or full face helmet?

Safety Tips

The post Scooter crash tests to simulate the helmet effect first appeared on scootcats.

With the arrival of spring and the great weather, we welcomed the riding season one more time. This means more riders hitting the roads, unfortunately it also means more accidents.

Here are some safety tips to consider:

• Choose your position in traffic so that you remain visible to drivers
• Anticipate what might happen at all times
• Use your turn signals
• Wear a helmet and protective gear if possible
• At night use reflective clothing or stickers to remain visible
• Do not hesitate to use your horn as a warning
• Always check the vehicles behind you prior to braking

Also read the article …where to start.

The post Safety Tips first appeared on scootcats.

Full face helmet

Whether to pick a half face or a full face helmet is a tough decision, especially for the new rider. Besides concerns about safety, protection and comfort, one major factor influencing the rider’s choice is usually aesthetics. We’ve been brainwashed by media that the cool kids are the ones, riding either without helmet or with half face helmets. Especially when it comes to scooters, you never see scooter riders wearing full face helmets on TV, unless they are delivering pizza. But, let’s leave that aside.

The major difference between a half face and full face is, that the full face covers the complete head. It comes with an extra section on the front, covering the chin and with an extension on the rear covering the base of the skull. When it comes to safety, both helmets will protect the top of your skull during a collision, but only the full face one will protect your chin, jaws and teeth. Research shows a high possibility of impact on the chin during a crash. So, for better protection, it is obviously better to pick the full face helmet. In addition to providing extra coverage during a crash, its visor will provide your eyes protection against sunlight, rain, dust and bugs.

But are there any disadvantages to a full face?

If you are concerned about comfort, in means of  restrictiveness and air ventilation, a full face won’t be able to provide you as much comfort as a half face. Also, most likely, for a full face helmet, you will end up paying much more money.

If safety is priority, which it should be, one doesn’t have to be a genius to figure out that it is better to pick a full face helmet. It is only one life to live, so why risk it? But if you insist on not wearing a helmet, than it is obviously better to wear a half face helmet rather than no helmet.

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Storing your scooter at home may seem to be a good way to protect it from theft, but a recent incident shows that it is definitely not good for your own safety. So, never store your scooter at home!

This morning, the Florida police was informed of a suspicious gas smell at a condo complex. After some investigation and evacuating the residents of the complex, they were able to locate the apartment the smell was originating from.

When they entered the first floor apartment, they were surprised to find a gas leaking motor scooter in the kitchen. A resident, who was exposed to the gas was hospitalized for treatment.

We wish the resident to recover soon.

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