Helmet Neck Snap and other questions

[Jas0n]

Theres a rumor going around stating that if you have a helmet on, the weight can cause your neck to snap if you're jolted hard enough during an accident. Now, I call bullshit, but I'm not sure.

Also, is it ok for a person to hold onto the shoulders instead of the waist? Sometimes I get asked for rides by guys, and neither of us feel comfy with the waist area.

With bigger sport bikes (500+) is it necessary to adjust the suspension for 2 people? I know I HAVE to with the ninja 250 or it'll sink in too much and handle badly.

[Lion_Lady]

That argument is one that I believe was originated by ABATE.

Yes it is possible, I suppose.

BUT consider this: Chances are greater that WITHOUT a helmet, any accident severe enough for helmet weight to cause any neck injury would have killed you or scrambled your brains from hitting the pavement with your unprotected skull.

I mean THINK ABOUT IT. How would a rider have to land or be hit for the helmet to become a MAIN cause of injury? The head would have to hit something... No helmet: Mashed skull = death.

As for what a pillion should hold onto: They actually should hold onto the BIKE, not you. It will keep them from sliding forward and mashing you (and your important parts) into the tank if you stop quickly.

P

[Veda]

I know I HAVE to with the ninja 250 or it'll sink in too much and handle badly.

Good luck with that, since the US ex250s don't have an adjustable suspension

[Septimus]

If I remember correctly from the Hurt Report, the number of people killed who would have survived had they not had a helmet is statistically insignificant (i.e. the type of the thing that your uncle's cousin's girlfriend's former roommate once heard about).

I'd double check this to be sure, but everything I've ever read about it is that it is a myth. Any accident with enough angular force to even run the risk of your helmet damaging you is likely to be as bad or worse if you didn't have a helmet.

[OreoGaborio]

Never in my life have I ever been given a single good reason why you shouldn't wear a full face helmet. Every reason I've heard sounds like an uninformed baboon's made-up excuse just to justify why he or she shouldn't wear a helmet.

helmets save FAR more lives than they take. In fact, I've NEVER heard of any instance where someone was killed or even injured because they were wearing a helmet and would have lived or sustained less injury if they weren't.

[Kal]

Various European studies have tried to prove/disprove this one over the years.

Findings have generally been that the additional weight (remember how much your head weighs on its own) provides negligible force in crash scenarios and that neck breaks would have been fatal without the helmet because of the forces involved.

That said the difference in attitudes between Europe and the States could just be down to the fact that private healthcare is less common here. Over here the risk may be the individuals but when things go wrong the cost is everyones.

[ceemes]

I sort of recall hearing this when I first started riding in the early 80's, basically the story was the first full faced helmets had a squared bottom and the lip rested lower and could in theory snap your neck if you landed wrong.....the message was, don't buy a used early 70's era full faced helmet, but buy one of the newer and sexier Shoel's.......so said the sale guy at the dealership back then.

[slimcolo]

The neck snaping was a real problem. It was due to, not weight but faulty design. (this can also be caused by a improperly fitted helmet) This was especially true of full face helmets. The neck extended to far down and could cause neck injuries. Due to lawsuits most of these helmets have been removed from the market or redesigned in a more user safe config. Also keep in mind that this was mostly a problem in racing and not street riding. This problem was primarily with full face helmets in the 70s and early 80s. (You know the helmets that look like something borrowed from an Apollo mission.) These early full face helmets were primarily designed for auto racing and not for bikes. Modern designs have been improved, and this problem has been all but eliminated.

[Kibagari]

My friend swears up and down that full-faces cause your neck to snap. I think he forgets that we're in the 21st century and that helmets have progressed to where your sight, hearing, and the weight of the helmets themselves have all improved. Oh well, he can keep his 3/4 helmet, maybe when he dumps it and scars up his face, he'll learn his lesson.

I've never heard of it actually happening, myself, and there's a chance it is possible even in today's day and age. However, I would rather have a full-face. If I dump it and my neck doesn't snap, then my head is going to be as protected as it can be without putting myself in a rubber room.

[flynrider]

I might believe that the extra weight of a helmet could cause neck issues if you were securely strapped into a car. It was a problem not too long ago in racing.

Motorcycles are different. As a veteran of more crashes than I care to (or can ) remember, they always seem to end up with me (and the helmet)flying off the bike in the same general direction. In other words, instead of accelerating my head while my body stays still, we all go along for the ride with my helmeted head accelerating at the same general rate as the rest of my body.