I don't know what you mean by "possible" but several reputable reports have found no evidence that a helmet CAUSED a spinal injury.

Dale Earnheart's death was caused by a helmet? Was his injury caused by the helmet? would he have sustained a similar injury sans helmet?

 

Not certain, but I believe it adds enough weight to cause a possible injury if your neck is whiplashed.

FWIW...I'm riding FF now.

HANS device is MANDATORY in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing now.

~Joe

 

Dude...it's all a matter of choice! I wear a half helmet in the summer and a full face in the winter. I ride an '07 Electra Glide with a tall windshield, and I'm real short, so the full face helmet is strictly to keep the noggin' warm.

See you in the wind...

 

Its really tough to draw parallels between motorcycles and race cars.

One, the drivers are strapped in, in a 5 point harness, so ONLY their head can move in a wreck.

Two, those cars hit the wall at 150mph+...and we are discussing motorcycle accidents at STREET speeds.

All I'm saying is that its really not apropos to draw direct parallels between the mandatory use of HANS in racing and motorcycle helmets.

 

I agree.....my point is.....that there ARE dangers either way.

Motorcycle=danger

It's that simple.

~Joe

 

We agree on that one for sure.

 

We even have a local 1%er that wears a full face. Smart dude.




Most of us do.

 

huh?????

 

That was supposed to be a quote of another post but it didn't work right. I was referring to our club. Most of us wear full face helmets. A 1%er wearing a full face helmet is not a rarity.

 

Correct. He sustained brain stem damage due to the head traveling forward then back in a violent whiplash motion. I suppose it could be argued that the weight of the helmet could theoretically contribute to the head mass, thus the inertia, but at high opposing G-forces the neck would have been unable to maintain control of the head regardless. A HANS helmet and device would have saved his life, but he died from a perfect storm of vehicle entry angle, improperly installed safety harnesses, and lack of head and neck restraint, not because of the helmet.