If you’re an old school motorcycle rider, you may have had the same helmet for years. The beat up thing looks cool while you’re riding, but can it still protect you, or should it be replaced with a new motorcycle helmet?

There are many reasons why you would need a new motorcycle helmet immediately. If you are very safety conscious, you should get a new helmet if yours suffers a hard fall, say from a high shelf. This can weaken it.

If you have just been in an accident and hit your helmet, you should get a new motorcycle helmet. Any impact will damage the inside of your helmet, and in the event of a new crash, it won’t offer you enough protection.

If you’ve had your helmet for more than five years, it should be replaced. Most helmets will have some breakdown in materials after the five year mark, and won’t be as structurally sound as they once were.

The inner liner of your helmet is also affected by age. Over time, it is broken down from the oils from your hair and skin. Glues and resins used in your helmet also begin to break down and damage the liner.

Even if you don’t believe you’ve dropped or damaged your helmet, any outward signs of damage mean that it’s time to get a new helmet, because it’s impossible to tell when the inner shock absorbing layers have been damaged.

An important safety tip to keep in mind is that a helmet is only good for one impact. After one impact, of any kind, the helmet will be less able to protect you, and it’s time to get a new motorcycle helmet.

So it’s likely that you’ve decided it’s time to get a new motorcycle helmet. Don’t despair. There are many great and safe motorcycle helmets out there to fit any budget, and any style.