Motorcycle Helmet Information

A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders. The primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is to protect the rider's head during impact, although many helmets provide additional conveniences, such as face shields, ear protection, intercom etc.

Motorcycle Helmet Laws and standards
Motorcycle helmets are generally believed to greatly reduce injuries and fatalities in motorcycle accidents, thus many countries have laws requiring acceptable helmets to be worn by motorcycle riders. These laws vary considerably, often exempting mopeds and other small-displacement bikes. As with seat belt legislation the actual effects of imposing helmet wearing are a matter of dispute with evidence available indicating a risk compensation effect. In some countries, most notably the USA, there is significant popular opposition to compulsory helmet use, based on these safety and also philosophical objections (see Helmet law defense league).

Worldwide, many developed countries have defined their own sets of standards that are used to judge the effectiveness of a motorcycle helmet in an accident, and define the minimal acceptable standard thereof. Among them are:

AS 1698 (Australia)
CSA CAN3-D230-M85 (Canada)
JIS T8133 (Japan)
NZ 5430 (New Zealand)
ECE 2205 (Europe)
BS 6658 (UK)
DOT FMVSS 218 (USA)
Of the above standards, the DOT standard is by far the most lax. The Snell Memorial Foundation has developed stricter requirements and testing procedures for motorcycle helmets, as well as helmets for other activities (e.g. drag racing, bicycling, horseback riding), and many riders in North America consider Snell certification a benefit when considering buying a helmet.

Most motorcycle helmet standards use impacts at speeds between 4 and 7 m/s. At first glance, this is confusing given that motorcyclists frequently ride at speeds of 20 or 30 m/s. This confusion is relieved by understanding that the perpendicular impact speed of the helmet is usually not the same as the road speed of the motor cycle and that the severity of the impact is determined not only by the speed of the head but also by the nature of the surface it hits. For example, the surface of the road is almost parallel to the direction the motorcyclist moves in so only a small component of his velocity is directed perpendicular to the road while he is riding. Of course, other surfaces are perpendicular to the motorcylist's velocity, such as trees, walls and the sides of other vehicles. The other vital factor in determining the severity of an impact is the nature of the surface struck. The sheet metal wall of a car door may bend inwards to a depth of 7.5 - 10 cm (3 - 4 inches) during a helmeted head impact, meaning that it generates more stopping distance for the rider's head than the helmet itself. So a perpendicular impact against a flat steel anvil at 5 m/s might be about as severe as a 30 m/s oblique impact against a concrete surface or a 30 m/s perpendicular impact against a sheet metal car door or windscreen. Overall, there is a very wide range of severity in the impacts that could conceivably happen in a motorcycle impact. Some of these are more severe than the impacts used in the standard tests and some are less so.

The speeds are chosen based on modern knowledge of the human tolerance for head impact, which is by no means complete. It is possible to deduce how well the 'perfect' helmet outlined in the Function section of this page would perform in an impact of a given severity. If currently available data suggest that the rider is unlikely to survive in such an impact, regardless of how well his helmet performs, then there is little point in demanding that helmets be optimized for this impact. On the other hand, if an impact is so mild that the rider is unlikely to be injured at all so long as he is wearing a helmet than that impact is not a demanding test. Modern standards setters choose the severity of the standard test impact to be somewhere between these two extremes, so that manufacturers are doing their best to protect the riders who can be helped by their helmet during a head impact.

Original Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_helmet


Because of the complexities involved in automobile accident cases, it is important that you act quickly and contact an attorney with any questions or issues. Proving negligence in a motorcycle accident lawsuit takes an investment of time, experience, and resources - advantages that only a qualified attorney can provide. At Munley, Munley & Cartwright, our goal is to provide exceptional legal services to our clients.

Call Today! 1-800-318-LAW1