We’ve all heard of DOT, ECE and Snell—these are the major helmet safety standards in the USA and Europe. DOT doesn’t actually test any helmets itself, and I don’t know if ECE does, but certainly the Snell Foundation has its own labs and they test hundreds of helmets before they allow manufacturers to affix their little stickers onto them.
John Lloyd says those tests have their place, but one thing none of them are effectively testing for is rotational injuries—if they’re even testing (or requiring testing) for these types of injuries at all. Instead of wondering why this gap in motorcycle helmet testing exists, John just geared up his own independent testing lab. He’s recently finished his first academic study on helmets and rotational injuries titled “Traumatic Head and Brain Injuries in Helmeted Motorcycle Crashes.” It’s being published in the Stapp Car Crash Journal, but unfortunately we can’t provide the study for you to read. If you have access to the Stapp journal, you can read the whole thing. He wrote up another study a while ago on helmet closures titled “Crash-Related Motorcycle Helmet Retention System Failures. You can download a PDF of that one and read it if you’re interested. (PS You should be!)
John in his happy place – the dirt!Joining John and me in this discussion is Mark Barnes, a clinical psychologist and well-known motorcycle journalist. Mark has his own podcast, The Ride Inside, which examines the social, emotional, psychological and other mental aspects of motorcycling. I asked Mark to join us not just for his perspective as an academic, but for his long experience and an unfortunately personal experience making the topic of helmets pertinent for him right now.
Thanks to our sponsors for this episode: Schuberth Helmets and ROX Speed FX.
Due to the length, depth and technical detail of this conversation with John and Mark, there is no news segment in this episode. The news will return in Episode 163.
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