QuoteI hope W.C. gets some help and this mess starts to sort itself out soon for all involved

+1

This has been a really bazaar string of events.  The luck has to turn soon!  Cheers to Marques feeling better soon.   

Quote from: JesterDFW on October 12, 2008, 02:35:03 AM
I wasn't there, but a helmet is a preventative measure, not the be all end all of safety.  After a helmet takes one hit, its compromised and finished.  You can still scramble your brain and/or kill yourself with a helmet on.  It just lessens the damage.  Look at it this way, had he not had the helmet on, he'd be dead most likely.  At least he's alive and 'hopefully' in salvagable shape once the doctors take a look at him.  The helmet accomplished its goal.  Its doubtful another brand would have done anything different for him.

If the forces are there, you are going to sustain injury or damage regardless of what you are wearing.  It just helps mitigate things.  I wouldn't lose faith in your nice helmet.   

Thanks for your response.  Good reminder that the helmet is primarily a "first strike" responder, not complete protection.  And that, in a violent impact, damage is done when the brain strikes the inside of the skull, just as when an outside object penetrates the skull and strikes the brain.   

I've been thinking about buying a new helmet, so part of what I was looking for was whether this was an open-face, closed-face, flip-up face, cheap or expensive helmet.  Suomy is a known brand-name, as opposed to some Wal-Mart $49 Special - we've all seen people riding with no/marginal skull protection.  It seems to me that, within some range, helmets are pretty much equal insofar as crash protection is concerned.  Would you agree?

George

Quote from: GeorgeInDallas on October 12, 2008, 09:06:35 AM
It seems to me that, within some range, helmets are pretty much equal insofar as crash protection is concerned.  Would you agree?

I totally disagree with this, all helmets that are DOT and/or Snell pass minimum requirements but that does not tell you how well a helmet performs.

In the UK the government has started a helmet safety scheme, where it measures actual helmet performance above the standards.

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

It make some interesting reading and proves that the most expensive is not always the best.

QuoteIt make some interesting reading and proves that the most expensive is not always the best

Not all helmets are equal no, but you have to factor in other things when making a helmet decision.  A cheapo helmet that is the same safety as my Shoei x-11 can be seen as a way to go, but keep in mind it probably is much louder at speed, has crappy ventilation, non-removable padding, poor aerodynamics ( fatigue inducing ), hard to remove shield ( wait Arai is.... nevermind ), etc. 

It might save my head the same in a crash for 1/5 of the price, but I'll stick with my comfortable, convenient and safe, expensive lid.   

Safety is number one, but a nice lid with all the amenities will provide you safety and more enjoyment during your riding if you can afford one.