Protection: Half-helmets

FYI, this is a scan from a study by Dietmar Otte, of distribution of impact locations on helmets during accidents.

Consider this sketch when choosing a helmet.

This is what I wear, probably not as much as I ought to have, but I rode for years without one anywhere I could get away with it.....until I busted up my scoot and cracked my noggin a good one :wow:

"You can tell the people who really hate helmet laws, because they wear helmets that say; 'Ha! Joke's on you, government! You told me to wear a helmet so I'm wearing the least protective thing I can find.'"

this exact one as a matter of fact

I had a minor accident, was going only about 25-30 MPH, I was coming around a curve, and the pavement was somewhat slick, I knew I was not going to make it so I tried to brake which sent me onto the muddy shoulder - bike got mired, and I flew over the handlebars. What a strange sensation: I was fully conscious, I felt my head hit the ground, I thought OH, that didn't hurt at all. I felt nothing, the heltmet completely absorbed the impact of me hitting the asphalt. It took forever as I slid to a stop.

If I had not had on a full-face, the doctors said I would have smashed the entire left side of my face and would have damaged my 'beautiful jawline' and probably needed plastic surgery. I was lucky enough to only suffer a severely bruised kneecap, which healed completely, in time.

Love your head? Wear a full face helmet.

September 8, 1992: Full face enabled me to end up with a broken jaw and eight stitches instead of much worse when I rode into the side of a van that didn't see me. My head took the entire impact. I didn't even scrape my gloveless hands. Coulda been much worse.

I'm still ridiculously proud of a) not locking up the brakes - proper braking technique even though I hit them pretty hard when I saw the van pull out - and b) when asked who the president was, after I came to ten minutes later, saying, "the Dark Lord", and having the paramedic know I knew damn good and well I was talking about GHWB.