Do motorcycle helmets expire? Detail Overview

Do motorcycle helmets expire
Do motorcycle helmets expire

Most motorcycle riders use their helmets for a long time without inspecting them. Some people do not seem to care about changing their helmets. But, as all man-made things have a certain shelf life, so do helmets also have. Here is what you need to know.

So, Do motorcycle helmets expire? Motorcycle helmets do expire as most of the things are made. Helmets come with a shelf life of 5 years if you didn’t get into an accident. Thus, most helmets manufacturer recommends not to use the motorcycle helmet for more than 5 years as the safety decreases. 

The life of motorcycle helmets gets affected by the way you use them. And, if the helmets go into the accidents then it’s life become short. In most cases, manufacturers recommend replacing the helmets if it gets into accidents. Thus, the helmets can expire even before their expiry. And, the helmets can have a longer self-life than the recommended by the manufacturers themselves. 

What is the motorcycle helmet’s lifespan?

According to the industry standards, “ The helmets come with a life span of 5 years.” But, the actual life of the helmets will vary depending on the way you use them. The general lifespan most helmet manufacturers claim is five years, only if the helmet is stored and treated in certain conditions.

According to the Snell website, “The five-year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus held by both helmet manufacturers and snell foundations. Glues, resins, and other materials used in helmet production can affect the lines, etc. Thus, the helmet replacement is a judgemental call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy.”

The helmet life span decreases the moment you fall or get into some accident. Apart from this, if you got into some serious accidents then most helmets manufacturer suggest replacing the helmet right away. As the helmets are designed to resist only one impact after the impact it’s no longer safe as it was before. 

For more information read this article on “Should you replace your motorcycle helmet after the accident?”

So, now you know that the five-year shelf life is not a benchmark, but due to several factors and safety issues manufactures have made this a standard. But, helmets do degrade with time and to avoid any legal safety issues, manufacturers have set the standard. You can use your helmet for more than 5 years but then no one will take charge of the safety of your head. That’s the reason we should change the motorcycle helmet after 5 years.

Why do motorcycle helmets Expire?

Motorcycle helmet expires due to their factor of usage. Unused helmets stored in good condition do not necessarily need to be changed after 5 years. But as you started using it, it starts to degrade. The simple act of putting on and taking off the helmet damages the comfort pads and energy-absorbing foam liner over time. 

In the expiry of motorcycle helmets things like “Hair oil”, cosmetics, and body fluid, everything contributes to wear and tear. Apart from this, it’s better to replace the helmets because in five years there will be a noticeable change in technology leading to improvements in the helmets. Thus, replacing will increase the safety of your head.

Thus, in order to understand the reason motorcycle helmets expire we first need to know the construction.

Motorcycle helmets are made of several components working together to provide safety to our fragile heads. 

The helmet’s outer shell can be made up of materials like thermoplastic, or fiber. The outer shell is durable and can withstand a lot of force which is the reason that saves your head. These are the robust and hardest material used to make an outer shell that can easily last for years without any damage.

Now, the helmet’s inner shell is made up of foam that is responsible for impact absorption. The foam is made to withstand and absorb the impact caused during the accident. It does a good job of absorbing and you don’t have to worry about its life until you have got into some accident or fall.

There is third important material we should talk about is a visor which is the one responsible for protecting our eyes from dust, debris while riding. It can get scratched during fall, but it has a good amount of life if handles well. Even if you got any issues with visors, you can replace them right away.

Thus from this, you got to know what exactly expires in helmets. The things that expire are inner padding, helmet outer shell, and its inner shell with time as you wear it.

How to extend the lifespan of your motorcycle helmet?

Snell Foundation recommends you change helmets every 5 years. Motorcycle helmet life can be extended by taking proper care and avoiding accidents. And, in order to make sure you get the most of the helmet’s life.

Here are the things you need to care about to extend the helmet life.

  • Carry your helmet safely (don’t let it fall)
  • Proper storage of the helmet
  • Replace helmet scratched visors
  • Replace helmet’s interior padding 
  • Cleaning the helmets 

Now, let’s discuss these terms briefly to help you extend the motorcycle helmet lifespan.

Carrying the helmet safely

The motorcycle helmet is made to survive the first fall effectively after that the helmet will not be as effective as it was on the next fall. Thus, make sure your helmet doesn’t drop unnecessary anywhere. Dropping your helmet from a short distance doesn’t make it ineffective. But it can get the helmets scratched or potentially little cracks on the outer layer. Apart from this, the continuous fall of the helmets makes the inner foam compress in result the helmet protection level decreasing.

Thus, it’s very important that you carry your helmet safely. While it may be hard for you to carry the helmets everywhere on your hands. I have a solution for you, one of my friends suggested to me this helmet backpack bag that is designed solely to carry the helmets.

Storing the motorcycle helmets properly

Helmet life can be affected by environmental conditions like constant heat, UV rays, etc. Thus, it becomes important that you store your helmet somewhere safe where nobody can start playing with it and its overall health doesn’t get affected. 

Apart from this, if you ride all day then your helmet gets filled with sweat, hair oil, and other body oil, thus make sure to store the helmet to the place where there is sufficient airflow.

Cleaning the motorcycle helmet

Most people don’t seem to care about helmets. And most of them never clean the helmets. If you ride a motorcycle more frequently then make sure to clean it once every 2 to 4 months. As the constant build-up of sweat and oils in the inner padding makes it smell bad and affect its life.

Cleaning your motorcycle helmets keeps them healthy and safe from unwanted dust, debris, and chemicals.

Replacing the parts of the helmet

Helmets parts wear out over time, by changing them you are extending the life of the helmets. So, I am talking about the most crucial and readily available parts of the motorcycle helmet which are visor and interior padding. It’s not uncommon to get your visor scratched or broken if you drop your helmet. Thus, make sure to replace the visor because it can make your sigh unclear and at night it will get worse.

Apart from the visors, other parts that need to be changed are the interior padding of the helmet. As you wear the helmet every day it’s normal to get the interior padding worn out. If you feel your helmets have become loose that’s the indication to replace the inner padding for a better fit. 

How to tell if a motorcycle helmet is expired?

Unlike medicine, the Motorcycle helmet doesn’t come stamped with its expiry. So, nobody can tell directly whether the helmet is usable or not.  But, by looking at some signs of a helmet you can tell if a motorcycle is expired or not. Here are the signs to look in a helmet to know it’s usable or not:-

  1. Helmets age (Date of purchase)
  2. Frequency and Intensity of the helmet usage
  3. Check for any accidental damage
  4. Looseness in helmet

Lets’ talk briefly about these terms for better details:-

Helmets age ( From date of purchase)

This is the first thing to check, the year you bought your helmet. As I have already said that if you have worn the helmet for more than 5 years then it’s the sign of an expired helmet. And, you should replace your helmet right away for increased safety.

Usage of Motorcycle Helmet

The way you use your helmet decides your life. If you frequently use your helmet then it becomes exposed to environmental elements that decrease its life. So, the more frequently you use your helmet the more it wears down resulting in replacement.

Looseness in helmet

Over time, as you wear a helmet the inner padding, will start to wear out which is a result makes the helmet loose. You will be able to feel the difference cause the helmet will not be fit anymore as it was in the new.

If you want to confirm that your helmet has become loose or not try this. Wear the helmet and shake your head left and right. If the helmets also slide around as you shake your head. This means your padding has become worn out and it’s time for a replacement. 

Check for any accidental damage

Many times due to the accidental drop the helmet’s outer shell gets scratches and if the drop is from a certain big height then it can get a crack also. Thus, check for these crakes and scratches. And, the most important thing to consider is if you have been in some accident then replace the helmet right away. As most manufacturers suggest it’s no longer as protective as it was before the accident even if it didn’t get too many cracks on the outer shell.

Conclusion

The helmet life depends on the intensity and frequency of its use. And, that’s the reason most motorcycle helmet manufacturers have put the 5-year limit. Now, it depends on you, you can have the helmet for 10 years. But then the safety will be compromised and nobody will be responsible for that except you. Thus, make sure to replace the helmets every 5 to 6 years because safety comes first not money. As it is an important investment for your life. 

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