Did you know that April is “Check Your Helmet Month?” Yes it is. Before I get into the 4-Step Helmet Safety Check Protocol, here’s a short story that might spur you into performing these steps.

It was a calm, sunny morning in St. Paul, Minnesota. I was riding my Softail in an urban setting, running an errand, made more fun because I was on my ride. Approaching an intersection, I see this car stopped at a stop sign, probably 50-yards away. OK. The car is stopped and I have the right away. What happened next proves that being seen when riding on a motorcycle is paramount.

I check my speed. It's about 25-mph, the limit for the street I was riding on. Now, I'm approaching the crosswalk of that intersection. Then suddenly, that stopped car suddenly lurches into the intersection in an attempt to cross it. The driver obviously did not see me. What happened next is still vividly in my memory. I grabbed my brake, to no avail. My front wheel impacts the car just forward of the left rear wheel well. My last memory is the impact. I was still going about 25-mph.

When I opened my eyes, I was face up, looking into the eyes of a beautiful woman who was bent down over my body. The first thing she said to me was, “Good, you’re awake. Good thing you had your helmet on!”

Turns out she was an ER doctor on her way to the work at the Regional Hospital ER. Lucky me! She had been driving in the opposite direction when she saw me fly over the car, hit and roll on the street, coming to a stop facing skyward. She had stopped her car, and jumped out to help.

She attended to me and rode along with me in the ambulance to the ER. I was in the hospital for four days with major, but non-life threatening injuries – a broken pelvis and a disrupted bladder. Later, I found out my head slapped on the pavement when I was landing, and the helmet, no doubt, saved my life. After 4-days in the hospital and three months using a walker, I resumed my life thanks to my helmet.

As I have often pleaded here, helmets really do save lives. I’m proof of that.

So, it’s time to follow the 4-Step Helmet Safety Check Protocol. I’ve added a fifth step.

1. Make sure your helmet still fits your head. Does it fit snugly and do you have a full range of vision.

2. Look for signs of damage. If it has been dropped onto a hard surface, or shows dents in the shell, it should be replaced

3. Check the age of the helmet. If it is more than four or five years old, it’s probably a good idea to replace it. The interior protective cushions wear out over time and use.

4. Be aware of local laws and make sure you comply.

5. Here’s the most important step, which I have added: WEAR IT. No matter how short the ride or where you are going, if the bike moves and you are in the saddle, make sure you wear a helmet.

Right now there is a blizzard here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but summer is on the way. Have a great and safe riding season. Follow these five steps and live long!