[Dream Catcher]

WINGNUT's comment about the Fiberglass vs Polycarbonate shells
brought back an old memory.
Now I will have to go research if the following is still true.
Back in the 60's when the first "plastic" helmets came out,
they would demonstrate the ruggedness of them by bouncing them
off a hard floor. They would bounce back up into the demonstrators hands
like a basketball.
THAT was the bad part about those "plastic" helmets.
The fiberglass helmets would crush some (depending on what and how hard they hit)
and if they were designed right,
that designed in crush would absorb the impact and maybe prevent the wearer from getting additional injury
like from their head suddenly stopping with no helmet "give" or the whiplash effect of the rebounding "plastic" helmet.
A good helmet sacrifices it's structural integrity to the benefit of the wearer.
DC

 

[Dream Catcher]

Hey Kam,
Well, Like I said in that last post,

Now I will have to go research if the following is still true.

It appears the "poly" (or thermoplastic) helmets are holding their own these days.
The major factor appears to be the "liner", which has become as important
as the "shell" in the performance of the helmet.
Here's a link to a 2005 motorcycle mag. article that is very long, very detailed
and very controversial (to some interested parties).
You really need to read the whole thing to get all sides of the issue
and the actual helmet test results (towards the end) can only have meaning
if you have the information given in the first (a lot of tech) parts.
If you read "snell's open letter response" at the end of the article,
also be sure to read Motorcycles rebuttal to that letter just after.
It's a lot of info. but I thought it was well worth my attention.
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/

From where I sit
If you get hit
And your helmet don't fit
Your head may split :lol: :lol:
DC