Helmets are a necessity in many parts of the world, but if you are not convinced that you need a brain bucket, here’s a rather graphic video that shows just how important protecting your coconut can be.
We’re all thankful that safety standards for helmets are set in place around the world, perhaps save for the home-grown DOT standard which is outdated and in need of a drastic update. ECE 22.06 and the FIM standard help us keep our anxieties at bay, but even a standard DOT helmet beats no helmet at all, as seen in the video.
So the setup that Chris Rollins employed was a high-speed camera, a DOT-rated helmet, three human head forms made from ballistics gel with simulated organs and bone, a moving car, and finally a road for everything to come crashing down on.
Why a DOT-rated helmet and not a Snell or an ECE lid? Well, it was mostly to illustrate the point that at least having something could save your noggin from catastrophic injury. The helmet used was a GLX GX11 full-face helmet in a camo color that goes for $89.95 on the brand’s website. The helmet comes with a polycarbonate shell, functional vents, a polycarbonate visor, and also a DOT rating. It did come with a micrometric buckle on it, and the team commented that they would have preferred a double D-ring.
The test with the helmet was rather interesting. While the head form survived the initial impact, the ratchet strap came undone according to Chris and his crew. The head sustained rather nasty injuries, but only because it either slipped out of the helmet or the buckle had failed completely, so it got a face full of asphalt outside of the safety of the full-face bucket.
Things get a lot more interesting with the second and third unhelmeted tests. The second head form was dropped, but the camera wasn’t able to capture most of the impact. A repeat test was done, and it was gruesome, to say the least. Watch the video to get the full impact of the carnage, and remember to always wear a helmet folks!
