In a Crash, Where Will You Most Likely Hit Your Head?

[painman]

That's what I was afraid of.
My Schuberth fits very close to my jaw.

...another reason for a new helmet this spring.

Good post JB, confirmation that a fullface should be worn when riding. Also, there are more points on your face that can cause death when struck than on any area on your body per my Karate instructor. And Joe2maker, my guess would be you want a helmet to fit close to your face. I've worn other fullface helmets with the chinbar further away from the face and while this seems more comfortable, it IMO would allow more movement of the helmet on your head which could cause more injury to the head and neck than one with the chinbar closer. My Arai has the chinbar closer than any helmet I've owned and I think that is no accident. PM. <><

 

[Hit the Road Jack]

There was a great article in a recent issue of RoadRunner magazine, Motorcyclist Down! in which Dr. David H. Hanson, D.D.S., M.D., oral, maxillofacial and facial cosmetic surgeon was interviewed.

He tells of many reconstructions of crash victim's faces who were either not wearing helmets, or had open face helmets.

When asked, "Have you ever treated a motorcyclist who was wearing a full-face helmet?"

Dr. Hanson: "No, I can't recall ever having treated facial or jaw injuries of any accident victim who was wearing a full-face helmet."

 

[wheatonFJR]

While cruising the Internet looking for **** pictures of motorcycles and stuff, I came across the diagram I'd seen in a motorcycle safety book once upon a time that shows, for crash-involved motorcycle helmets, the percentage of strikes by helmet location (source: Dietmar Otte, Hannover Medical University, Dept. of Traffic Accident Research, Germany).

You can deduct the sum of the percentages for particular areas to determine the amount of protection you are jeopardizing by going with a half helmet or skid lid. An overriding conclusion for me is that, if you wear a half helmet, you will protect your brain but have a good probability of shattering your jaw.

Jb

Paging zorkler.... :clapping:

...are you out there?

 

[zorkler]

very good info most of my riding has been with a full face until about 5 years ago .with the numbers i see i just might start cleaning off the old ARAI

 

[wheatonFJR]

very good info most of my riding has been with a full face until about 5 years ago .with the numbers i see i just might start cleaning off the old ARAI

:clapping:

 

[Bull]

There was a great article in a recent issue of RoadRunner magazine, Motorcyclist Down! in which Dr. David H. Hanson, D.D.S., M.D., oral, maxillofacial and facial cosmetic surgeon was interviewed.
He tells of many reconstructions of crash victim's faces who were either not wearing helmets, or had open face helmets.

When asked, "Have you ever treated a motorcyclist who was wearing a full-face helmet?"

Dr. Hanson: "No, I can't recall ever having treated facial or jaw injuries of any accident victim who was wearing a full-face helmet."

- now there's something to ponder! :blink: - great post Jack.

 

[RenoJohn]

My forehead with the palm of my hand...when I say, "Doh!"

LOL LOLthanks for the morning laugh Mike. While the rest is speculative as we'll never know in full certainty how we'll go down ....the Absolute certainty is what you say.

 

[drew231506]

Those numbers also make you think twice about those new modular helmets...

 

[wfooshee]

I didn't think twice. I saw the size of the "latch" and went full face.

 

[Ford68xl]

The only time I impacted my helmet in a get off, I hit the 6.1 and 6.4 positions real hard (6.1 made it to the inner liner) and the 8.2 not so hard, but still glad I had a full face on at the time.

 

[twowheelnut]

Most hits are to the chin bar? That's it, I'm shopping for a new lid.

Thanks, JB. Great post.

 

[greg97224]

That's interesting, not too long ago I had a lively discussion with a buddy that rides a HD. Of course he wears one of those beanie helmets. He was trying to tell me that the heavy full face helmets will break your neck in a crash. Well I think you would have to be one hell of a pencil neck for that to happen. I couldn't convince him.

I am a retired firefighter, and I have seen what happens to people who wear those beanie helmets, NOT pretty.

 

[SMC]

So, what's the best helmet to wear, and what color is the most visible? Safety first!
I mean, this is in "Parts and Accessories", after all, at least for a little while....

:blink:

:blink: Just my .02, I wear a full face Arai in solid screaming yellow and my cycleport kevlar air mesh jacket is in screaming day glow yellow.

Anything I can do to help the cagers and 18 wheelers notice and see me will increase my chances of survival.

I could give two rats --s about cool decals, racer endorsed replica graphics on my helmet, I'm just trying to survive out there and continue to enjoy motorcycling as long as I can without becoming a statistic in some Highway Safety data bank.

All the other riders at the SFO gatherings I've attended have always said I stand out and can be seen post haste due to my highly reflective clothing....alive and well in my book beats cool and dead or maimed in my book any day.

 

[wfooshee]

That's interesting, not too long ago I had a lively discussion with a buddy that rides a HD. Of course he wears one of those beanie helmets. He was trying to tell me that the heavy full face helmets will break your neck in a crash. Well I think you would have to be one hell of a pencil neck for that to happen. I couldn't convince him.I am a retired firefighter, and I have seen what happens to people who wear those beanie helmets, NOT pretty.

I've heard that argument, too, and it's the same logic that brought us "loud pipes save lives." No logic or data, in other words, just uninformed speculation, wishful thinking, and this-is-how-I-want-it-to-be magic.

Now, I can see a high-speed impact with a sudden deceleration of a restrained driver (i.e. race car into a wall) having neck problems, but a biker won't stay with his bike such situations, and thus there is no neck stress.

I guess the weight of the helmet added to the weight of the concrete-filled skull. . . . .

Back on-topic, I thought I'd check, and the percentages do add up to 100!

 

[painman]

Zork, let your concience be your guide. I will admit coming from riding a HD for many years in CA I never wore a helmet. And swore I never would. When the lid law passed I went out and bought one of those Nazi lids that are so fashionable now, and I knew some friends who were in a wreck and the first thing that happened was their skid lid came off right over the front of their face. Basically the same as wearing no helmet but probably somewhat worse because now your vision just got blocked while wrecking.

As time went along I got a better half helmet, one that was actually DOT legal. But still as time went on I became increasingly more uncomfortable with the half helmet, not feeling safe. Going to the FJR in 06 and riding with some folks here and basically learning about sport bikes in general and this type of riding I came to the full realization that the full-face is the "only" real protection out there. Even though the majority of motorcycle deaths are the result of internal injury to the body not the head, (I'm in a family of nurses including my daughter), but the idea being a full face is where it's at, even riding on the HD now.

I don't care what it looks like or what anyone says. Of note here, a good friend is a CHP and says the reason the CHP motorcops wear a half helmet is the department wants its riders to be able to interact with the public while working and not scare people by wearing a fullface. lol. And my friend wears a half helmet on his dresser HD. So, really it is up to the indivdual even though the great majority here are biased to the fullface model. Do keep your head up though while asphalt surfing, pleassse.........PM. <>< Just $.02 more peso's worth.

 

[fretbender]

That's interesting, not too long ago I had a lively discussion with a buddy that rides a HD. Of course he wears one of those beanie helmets. He was trying to tell me that the heavy full face helmets will break your neck in a crash. Well I think you would have to be one hell of a pencil neck for that to happen. I couldn't convince him.I am a retired firefighter, and I have seen what happens to people who wear those beanie helmets, NOT pretty.

I've heard that argument, too, and it's the same logic that brought us "loud pipes save lives." No logic or data, in other words, just uninformed speculation, wishful thinking, and this-is-how-I-want-it-to-be magic.

Now, I can see a high-speed impact with a sudden deceleration of a restrained driver (i.e. race car into a wall) having neck problems, but a biker won't stay with his bike such situations, and thus there is no neck stress.

I guess the weight of the helmet added to the weight of the concrete-filled skull. . . . .

Back on-topic, I thought I'd check, and the percentages do add up to 100!

+1 on the this-is-how-I-want-it-to-be-magic comment. To delude yourself can be a very scary thing. When I crashed, I got slammed down on my back. On the way down, I was instinctively keeping my head tucked into my chest. Must have been old habit from taking Judo years back. The only thing is, when I hit, I had absolutely NO chance of keeping my head off the ground. When my back hit the ground my head whipped back and the back of my helmet smacked the ground pretty dang hard. . .I was surprised at how loud it was. While all that was happening I was wondering if I was going to have brain damage, or a least a headache or something, but I didn't even feel a bit of a headache at any time during or after the crash. The worst part of the upper body injuries was that I tore the muscles in the front of my neck from trying to keep my head tucked in. I got off easy. For about 3 days I couldn't raise my head up without using my arms to pull it iup f I was so much as reclined in Lazy Boy. But the Shoei helmet worked great, until the crash that is. The visor never quite shut the same. Best $300 I ever spent.

And all that riding gear with the dual density armor and spine pad did a fabulous job. Years ago I would ride in tennis shoes, denim, t-shirt & sunglasses. I am oh so thankful that was not my attire when I crashed. I love my riding gear now. I fear for the people wearing my old school outfit.

 

[James Burleigh]

Zork, let your concience be your guide. I will admit coming from riding a HD for many years in CA I never wore a helmet.

Pain, I had no idea you were a Harley guy. Cool.

I never wore a helmet. And swore I never would. When the lid law passed I went out and bought one of those Nazi lids that are so fashionable now, and I knew some friends who were in a wreck and the first thing that happened was their skid lid came off right over the front of their face. Basically the same as wearing no helmet but probably somewhat worse because now your vision just got blocked while wrecking.

A lot of riders who wear them (I'm guessing) wouldn't wear a helmet if they didn't have to. So they are not presuming the helmet will protect them in any way. Wearing those helmets for them is the equivalent of taking a small "no thank you" helping of peas at the table. For them, those are the "I'm not really wearing a helmet" helmets.

Jb

 

[Toecutter]

Pain, I had no idea you were a Harley guy. Cool.

If you can manage to get 'im drunk, he might even tell you how many men he's killed in his biker days.

 

[Fencer]

 

[airboss]

That Fencer...........he got a way with words don't he?