Fillable Printable Motorcycle Helmets
Fillable Printable Motorcycle Helmets
Motorcycle Helmets
IMPORTANT NOTICE OF CHANGES TO
NORTH CAROLINA’S
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY HELMET LAW
Effective January 1, 2008 all operators and
passengers on motorcycles and mopeds
must wear a motorcycle safety helmet of a
type that complies with
Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 218
What to look for in a legal h e lmet:
• Thick Inner Liner
FMVSS 218 compliant motorcycle safety helmets will have a firm inner liner of polystyrene foam that is
about one inch thick. In some helmets this may covered by a comfort liner, but you can feel the thickness.
Non-compliant helmets normally contain no liner or a thin soft foam padding.
• DOT Sticker
Compliant motorcycle safety helmets will have the symbol “DOT” permanently installed by the
manufacturer on the back of the helmet. Some “novelty type” helmets are supplied with a separate “DOT”
sticker or one can be purchased separately and placed on the helmet by the motorcyclists. This does not
make this a compliant helmet.
• Manufacturer’s Label
Each compliant motorcycle safety helmet will have a permanently attached label either sewn or glued in the
interior of the helmet by the manufacturer
that has the manufacturers name or identification, precise
model, size, month and year of manufacture, type of shell and liner construction materials and an
instruction label for cleaning and care of the helmet.
NOVELTY TYPE HELMETS ARE NOT COMPLIANT WITH (FMVSS 218)
N
ORTH CAROLINA
M
OTORCYCLE SAFETY FACTS
• Motorcycles represent about 2 percent of all registered vehic les in NC, but account for about 10
percent of all fatalities on our roads.
• As of Sept 1
st
of 2007, 63 % of all crashes involving motorcycles were single vehicle crashes
(motorcycle only).
• Of those crashes involving other vehicles, over half (53%) were the fault of the motorcyclist.
• Of those motorcyclist at fault crashes 81% occurred when the rider crossed the centerline either while
passing another vehi cl e or w h i l e negoti a t ing a curve.
• Of those other vehicl e at faul t crashes 57% were failure to yield right of way at an intersection and
43% were turning left across the motorcycles path.
•
The majority (82.7%) of motorcycle fatal crashes occurred because of the fault of the motorcyclist.
RIDER SAFETY TIPS
What can you do to reduce your chances of being involved in a motorcycle crash?
• Get properly
trained. NC has several programs available through the Community College System
Motorcycle Safety Edu cation Program (800) 428-7433,
NC State Highway Patrol BikeSafe-NC Program (919) 662-4430
Commercial programs such as the HD Rider’s Edge Program.
Ridersedge.com
• Wear proper riding gear; FMVSS 218 Helmet, long pants, long sleev es, full fingered gloves, over th e
ankle shoes/boots and eye protection. Wear light, bright clothing and something with retro-reflective
material to make yourself more visible to others on the road.
For more information contact the Governor’s Highway Safety Program website:
www.ncdot.org/programs/GHSP/links/
