I was setting up a new bicycle helmet earlier today, and after getting the pads in place, I just had to laugh at the included “my emergency information” sticker.

Unlike gift giving season, “it’s the thought that counts” doesn’t apply to saving one’s life after a nasty bike wreck.

Think about it… If you crash and you’re lying there unconscious with a broken neck, do you want someone fumbling around, taking your helmet off? Hell no!

[Note that EMTs will know what they're doing, but Joe Schmoe might remove your helmet solely to look for this sticker!]

Sure, if you break your leg, removing your helmet won’t hurt. But in that case, you should be conscious enough to remember your name and phone number.

With an older helmet I could almost position the sticker so it could be read through one of the air vents, but “almost” didn’t work out. That would seem like a good idea because it wouldn’t require moving the helmet, but…

Even if you did put the sticker inside the helmet, how long do you think the ink would last? Ever ride in the rain? Ever sweat when you ride?

Right. Nothing you write will be legible after a few rides, even if you had neat handwriting in the first place.

What other options are there… you could stick the sticker to the outside of the helmet! That would be quite stylish, but then the ink would fade in the sun or be washed off in the rain…

I wonder if anyone actually uses that sticker… I doubt it. Maybe that’s why Road ID was invented, since it places critical information at a more readable point, like your wrist or ankle, or around your neck.

Honestly I think this sticker idea is terrible. What if someone uses it and thinks they’re totally safe, but then they’re in an accident and guess what - all emergency crews find is a sticker with ink smeared around on it.

Maybe you could fill in the info, laminate the card, then hang it off the back of your helmet like a ski lift pass? Yeah, now there’s an idea!

(Disclaimer: Now remember, I’m not saying not to wear a helmet, but that the sticker inside them is totally useless! If you plan to carry ID, that sticker doesn’t cut it. P.S. Always wear your helmet.)

Surprisingly, there are still people out there, including adults, that don’t wear bike helmets. They either don’t know how unsafe it is to ride without one or they don’t know how sexy it is to ride with one.

I for one am going to look hot now that I added this “You’d Look Hotter In a Helmet” sticker to my helmet:

Want to look hotter too? It’s simple - wear a helmet!

Thanks to the Safety Is Sexy campaign for providing the stickers!

Learn more about looking hot by wearing a helmet: Safety Is Sexy