HAMBURG: Is there ever a good reason to lift the visor on your motorcycle helmet while you're moving? No - none whatsoever, according to road safety experts.
That's because there's a strong chance of you getting something in your eyes, even at low speeds, according to the experts at Germany's IFZ motorcycle safety institute.
An insect, pebble or other small object in the eye can instantly blind you or send the handlebars wobbling, and not only when you're racing down the motorway.
Bees, for example, travel at a speed of 13kph, and a horsefly even at 40kph, according to the institute. This makes for a surprisingly sore impact at speeds as low as 30kph.
In other words, if you want to avoid being painfully blinded and risking your life while on the bike, keep that visor down at all times. And if your helmet doesn't have a visor, then you'll need to get a pair of goggles.
The same logic applies to cyclists - at least those who can make it to 30kph and faster, says ophthalmologist Andrea Lietz-Partzsch, advising you to get a pair of cycling glasses for safe cycling. That's because if a foreign body gets stuck your eye, you'll close your eyes as a reflex.
On the one hand, you can't see anything for a short time, and on the other hand, there is a danger of jerking the handlebars. On a bicycle this is at least dangerous; on a motorcycle, it's life-threatening.
"Moreover, insects that get into your eye often die and secrete things that can be poisonous. This can lead to inflammation of the eye," she continues.
At the same time, visors and glasses offer protection against damage or inflammation from constant breezes. Anyone with corrective lenses has all the more reason to use them when cycling and riding motorcycles.
