If you're constantly looking for the safest and best helmets to use when riding your motorcycle, the introduction of smart motorcycle helmets may have been one of the best events of your life -- or not. Smart motorcycle helmets, like any gadget, are beneficial for some but pointless for others. Here are three things to consider when deciding whether to buy a smart helmet.
Added Awareness
Smart helmets often incorporate features like GPS and rear-view cameras, offering you added awareness of what's going on around you. If you plan to ride in crowded urban areas where you need to be able to check behind you without taking your eyes off the road in front of you for very long, or if you plan to take trips down back roads that you've never ridden on before, features like GPS and cameras are essential. Depending on what you need to do when you ride, you could also find helmets that incorporate your smartphone's microphone and receiver, allowing you to contact people as you travel -- handy if you're going to be late or are traveling somewhere due to an emergency.
Maybe Too Smart, and Too Distracting
The flip side to that is that you'll have a lot going on around your head. Calls may come in that are unrelated to your trip, and gadgets installed in the helmet may have auto-settings that malfunction or that pop up at inopportune times. These can be distracting and potentially dangerous as they take your attention off the road. Even if the interruptions don't distract you from concentrating on road safety, they can prevent you from viewing the scenery around you, which makes road trips for vacations and to see landscapes rather pointless.
Paying for Features You Don't Need
Smart helmets aren't the cheapest, and you want to be sure the money you pay is well-spent. That means you need to be sure you are going to use the features you are buying. If you ride mainly for vacations and road trips where you want to view the scenery, GPS might be useful, but a smartphone interface might not be something you'd need. If you travel only in areas that you know well, even GPS might not be necessary.
If you want to take a closer look at smart helmets and what they offer, contact motorcycle shops and clubs in your area. You'll find people who have experience with different models, and they can tell you whether the helmets they have are a help or a hindrance. Contact a business, such as Carl's Cycle Sales, for more information about motorcycle helmets.
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