FAST FINERY
"Popular Mechanics" Magazine
April, 2003
by Ben Stewart

"You don't have to be a Mensa member to know that crashing your motorcycle on the way home from the Tastee Freeze can have frightening - even deadly consequences. So it makes sense to be as protected as possible against the unpredictable. But that doesn't mean you have to give up comfort or style. Motorcycle safety gear now features ballistic nylon jackets with body armor that can protect you and offer the comfort of your favorite college sweatshirt. Plus, you'll look like you have just stepped off the set of the latest hip flick.

Keepin' Your Head
Your brain doesn't heal like a broken leg. A severe brain injury will change your life forever, or even end it.  That's why a quality Department of Transportation (DOT) approved helmet is the single most important piece of safety gear you can wear. And a fullface helmet is even better. The Snell Foundation is a private organization that sets its own standards for helmets. In simplest terms, DOT tests the performance of helmets in typical impact situations. Snell tests under the most severe impact conditions.  The best helmets walk the line and pass both tests. DOT approved helmets usually have at least 1 inch of expanded polystyrene energy-absorption material underneath the shell. This is the stuff that saves your life. Skullcaps and other novelty helmets typically have no liner at all. "A fake helmet is like having a fake fire extinguisher." At the HPRL (Head Protection Research Laboratory) in Paramount, California, we had laboratory manager, Chris Swanson, run the DOT's "monorail" test in which a helmeted head form is dropped on a steel anvil from a height of 6 ft. The helmet is moving at just over 13 mph at impact.

Our test showed that the head form inside this particular DOT-approved helmet experienced approximately 150 g's. That's typical and well under the range of 300 to 400 g's at which brain damage occurs. Then we tested a skullcap from a height of only 1 ft., to avoid overloading the test equipment. From that short drop, the head form was subjected to 800 g's, "well beyond the level of brain damage."

Both DOT and Snell conduct many other tests to make sure helmets are safe for riders. To duplicate real-world riding conditions, helmets are frozen to 14°F, baked to 122°F and soaked in water fo r 12 hours before undergoing impact tests. One of the most important is the Snell Positional Stability, or "roll-off," test. Research has found that some helmets will slide up, and possibly off, the rider's head in instances of a crash-level force. Swanson recommends that every biker test his own helmet for excessive movement each time he straps it on by pulling up on the back of the helmet base. All full-face Snell-approved helmets are tested to see how much the chin bar deflects in a given impact. Thom suggests that consumers look for full-face helmets that have EPS material in the chin bar for maximum protection. "A $200 helmet that meets the standards can provide the same protection as a $600 unit." But when it comes to comfort, fit, and cooling, the more expensive helmets have the edge. Helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every five years."

Submitted by:
Olin Gover aka Fly'n Low
Chapter Educator