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James R. Davis
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Houston, TX
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 Posted - 12/14/2013 : 7:58 AM
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I read today an interesting assertion about head injuries to riders who DO wear helmets.
quote:
It is now known the biggest head injury producing force is not the fall force to the helmet, but the rotational force associated with forward velocity at the time of the helmet strike. Earlier this year a lengthy report was released in the UK calling for new testing standard for helmets to account for this rotational force. This effect was first noticed in downhill skiers and a helmet made for them, POC helmets, MIPS system. Side note, kind of sad that this was not discovered in the thousands of motorcycle crashes that occurred but in the few downhill ski crashes.
Can anybody confirm this assertion or at least explain it with some specificity?
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gymnast
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Meridian, Idaho
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Posted - 12/14/2013 : 9:34 AM
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Can you provide a link to the article making the assertion?
Rotational forces may be a factor in brain injuries involving some downhill skiers however, around here the deaths are due to skiers smacking trees and rotational forces are likely a secondary factor.
Additionally, head injury deaths to skiers are relatively rare, with or without helmets as compared to motorcycle riders. The etiology of motorcycle head injuries is not logically or scientifically comparable to head injuries involving skiers based on the statement quoted in the above post. |
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James R. Davis
Administrator
17333 Posts
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Houston, TX
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Posted - 12/14/2013 : 10:41 AM
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I cannot find the article I quoted from but I do know who posted it.
Mr. Steven Guderian, the owner of a firm known as "Motorcycle Safety Consulting" (in San Francisco, I believe) made that statement in a LinkedIn forum on Road Safety in the last couple of days.
I have read his posts many times in the past and he seems both credible and well informed. |
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gymnast
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onthebeach
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Arch Cape, Oregon
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Posted - 12/14/2013 : 12:47 PM
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I read an article a couple years back about a proposed helmet design that would use a somewhat flexible covering with the intent being that this covering would move a bit in order to prevent the helmet from twisting. I have no idea of the actual mechanics taking place when a helmet slides on a surface so won't offer an opinion on effectiveness.
Here is a link I found with a quick Google search:
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/...raight-ahead
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gymnast
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Horse
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Newbury, Berkshire
United Kingdom
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Posted - 12/15/2013 : 10:17 AM
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| Something like 30 years ago a Scandinavian company (Momo?) designed a helmet with a soft outer 'shell' which would abrade away rather than 'gripping' the road surface and creating the brain swirling spin. |
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James R. Davis
Administrator
17333 Posts
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Houston, TX
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GoldWing 1500
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Posted - 12/15/2013 : 10:33 AM
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There is a company called '6D' that hopes to have a street legal version of their helmet by the end of this year.
This is NOT an endorsement of that company. Rather, I am providing a link to their site as a source of information about rotational forces and injuries.
http://www.6dhelmets.com/ |
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gymnast
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Meridian, Idaho
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James R. Davis
Administrator
17333 Posts
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Houston, TX
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Posted - 12/15/2013 : 1:00 PM
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| Yep. That's 6D. |
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Magnawing
Senior Member
281 Posts
The Woodlands, TX
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Posted - 12/17/2013 : 1:58 PM
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I'm not 100% certain but I believe the "rotational forces" referred to may cause a basilar skull fracture which occurs when the skull is violently rotated, causing a fracture at the base of the skull. This is the injury that killed NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt, among others. Following Earnhardt's death, NASCAR began requiring the use of the HANS device to prevent the driver's head from violently snapping forward in the event of a crash. I have seen similar devices used in other types of motorsports as well.
A HANS-type device used in motocross is discussed in the following article...http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2006...6_neckbrace/ |
Edited by - Magnawing on 12/17/2013 2:00 PM |
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OB
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Houston, TX
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Posted - 03/10/2014 : 9:18 PM
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I've been reading little snippets about this type of helmet for the last year and a half. Although I'm not qualified to evaluate the merits of what increase or decrease this design has on safety, it seems to me that the impulse time (of momentum) would increase in a crash, and generally I would view that as a positive attribute. Thanks for posting about it. Anyone see a helmet that using webbing as the shock absorbing part of the helmet yet in the marketplace?
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Edited by - OB on 03/10/2014 9:23 PM |
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Discussion Topic |
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Helmets - an interesting assertion