Downtown On the Go has been selling adult and youth bike helmets for $7 to help promote biking in Tacoma and to encourage people to be safe on the road. At the Bike Swap, 133 helmets were sold, and more helmets will be available for sale at the upcoming June 14 Tacoma Farmer’s Markets.
Bike helmet use is required by law in Tacoma. Bikers should always wear a helmet when riding a bike, and they should make sure it fits properly. Here are a few recommendations on fitting a helmet from www.nhtsa.gov.
Fitting a Helmet
A bicycle helmet should be snug, level, and stable on your head and cover most of your forehead before any adjustments are made.
Place the helmet on your head, and without buckling the chin strap, shake your head to see if it shifts from side to side.
If the helmet moves a lot, it’s too loose and either needs to be tightened with pads or the ring at the back and base of the helmet, OR you need a smaller helmet
If your forehead isn’t covered, you probably need a larger helmet.
- With the helmet level on your head, you should see the very edge or rim of your helmet when you look up past your eyebrows. This is about 2 fingers widths above your eyebrow.
- The straps should meet and form a “V” right under each ear lobe.
- Once the straps are adjusted in a “V,” buckle them. The straps should be snug but not too tight. Adjust until you can put no more than 2 fingers between the strap and your chin.