Helmets Save Your Bonce

[ratbane]

This is my 10year old sons Bell helmet after a major-league stack at Afan on Saturday. Somersaulted, and the first thing that hit the deck was the lower right back of his head. The helmet took it all, and failed as it should do. He was battered, bruised and scraped, but able to get back on his bike, and ride 8 miles back to the car.

I hate to think what would have been the outcome if he hadn't been wearing it, but he'd have spent the weekend in hospital as a minimum I reckon.

 

[velomaniac]

Gil_M posted up a computer image of his skull post crash either here or on UKFatbikes which showed a clear dent/fracture of the brow portion of his skull. He wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of his crash and now thinks himself VERY lucky. There may only be anecdotal evidence of the value of helmets but things like this remind me never to ride without one !

 

[ratbane]

Gil_M posted up a computer image of his skull post crash either here or on UKFatbikes which showed a clear dent/fracture of the brow portion of his skull. He wasn't wearing a helmet at the time of his crash and now thinks himself VERY lucky. There may only be anecdotal evidence of the value of helmets but things like this remind me never to ride without one !

Yes, I saw the images - scary.

I was riding alongside my lad when he came off, and so I had a slowmo view of it all. Speed was about 16mph. If he hadn't been wearing the helmet, he would have been in serious trouble.

The image doesn't really show up the damage particularly well. The crack runs right through the polystyrene, and into the polycarb. The polystyrene in bottom right of the image is about 10-20% thinner than the non-impact side. It basically took all the force out of the impact.

Wearing a helmet is a no-brainer IMO (no pun intended).

 

[Ernie]

In total aggreement with this.."here here" my head has bounced twice on tarmac... :cry: ..helmets are there to save life and reduce injury

Ernie

 

[highlandsflyer]

I have to second this, or third it. I would even suggest if you are on more technical/faster descents a full face is a must.

Dropped a trail bike on my way through town to the woods some years back, doing as little as 10/15mph but the height and cantilever effect saw me hit the tarmac hard enough to have totally messed me up had I not had a helmet on. Now I don't even cock the chin guard up like I used to riding in slow traffic.

Head injuries are truly scary.

 

[antogoof]

i went on my face on a cobbled hill when i was 12, off an old bmx. no helmet.

next day some 22 hours later i woke up in a hospital bed with 16 stitches in my head, massive road rash on my face and hands an bent teeth.

i still have bent teeth and have suffered with them ever since, i have a scar on my head and a scar on the back of my hand.

i still ride and come off quite often, its part of the fun, but when im on the dh bike i always wear a full face helmet, and gloves.

had i been wearing a helmet that day i would have probably walked away.

oh and im 32 now.

 

[taffy]

As above 3rd helmet now in 2 years one on the road one off both time the helmed did its sacrificial job.

 

[Raging_Bulls]

Nothing in my head is worth protecting, so I don't wear one.


:twisted:

 

[tintin40]

Nothing in my head is worth protecting, so I don't wear one.


:twisted:

same here

 

[Pyro Tim]

I don't understand why anyone wouldn't wear a helmet. I've heard the arguments, so no need to repeat them, but none are valid. Helmets are lightweight, and I don't even notice I'm wearing one. I've broken 3. I've watched someone die while not wearing one. The thing I hate most though is parents not wearing one when the kids are. It's saying to the kids that when they grow up, or get better as a rider, you won't need to wear one. I think that's crap. Nothing to do with age or ability, just common sense.

Glad your boy is OK.