I am writing a paper on why there should be a law or someway to standardize helmet safety. I am trying to find articles or anything that pertains to helmet safety does anyone know where I can find some info?
for what activity? NM
helmets
Are you talking about helmet design and construction, or helmet use? For kayaking, or for other sports & activities?
Considering all the debates on motorcycle, bicycle, and ski helmets in the past decade, there’s a ton of information out there.
If you’re interested in design, here’s an article to get you started:
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/
WRSI site
It’s corporate promotional, but it may be a place to start for the WW helmet debate:
http://www.whitewaterhelmet.com/research-development.asp
There oughta be a law!
Or, maybe not!
I always worry when I see people trying to regulate something else!
am i smelling a troll?
no not a troll
I am not a troll at all. I am doing a paper on Whitewater saftey and Helmets are the second most important after a PFD. I think Helmets should be regulated. I mean if bycycles helmets are regulated should kayak helmets be regulated?
regulated what??
Regarding usage, or quality/construction/materials.
I don’t do white water, but do we really need another law???
I think we do.
I think that there should be a standard. If it will save more lives on the water I would be happy. I think the regulation should cover what the helmets are made out of and the coverage.
standards: CE 1385, PAS 028:2002
http://www.happy-2b.com/new/pages/CE1385.htm
http://www.standardsdirect.org/standards/standards4/StandardsCatalogue24_view_25619.html
You, too, can use Google…
Thanks
I got those but I was looking for some first hand experence
A scholar looking for original sources…
Refreshing.
A couple of thoughts and a nugget of info at the end.
You’ve been given the available resources, minimal as they may be. WRSI is noteworthy effort from apparent pure benevolent intentions.
However, I’m skeptical of the need for such regulations. Have you talked to Charlie Walbridge? What is the number of head injuries? What percentages of those are attributable to poor design? Are you familiar with the “Hand Formula?” What standards would apply? Who would establish them? Who would enforce them? What would be the cost of compliance for current manufacturers? Would the market bear those costs? Would it require gov. subsidy? Would the consequences of the imposition of regulations penalize the good actors as well as the bad actors in the market? Would that be fair? Would that be a stifling precedent for future shoestring innovators? Would the burden of compliance be a disincentive for the development of improvement? Would standards provide a safe haven that discourages product improvement?
In over 30 years of kayaking I’ve had two significant head injuries. A significant slice on my cheek from a roll while surfing a reservoir overflow channel and a doosey of a forehead laceration.
The cheek thing? Would a full face helmet have prevented it? Maybe. Anyway, not too troubling. Besides, chicks dig scars, or so I’m told.
The forehead laceration was a weird injury. I flipped just above the flume at Koontz Flume, tucked up to roll in the run out, cool acceleration and BAM! Direct hit on front top of Grateful Heads Hardhit. (Cool star burst of delamination on the inside.) It literally felt like someone hit me over the head with a hardwood 2x4 swung like an ax. (Neck, chest, and shoulder muscle pain for a week or so.)
Anyway, the helmet did it’s job, it dissipated the blow enough that I never lost consciousness and no permanent injury (at least physical) that I know of. Closed head injuries use to be a specialty of my wife… 
What did happen was the weird part. The blow compressed the helmet’s edge onto my forehead. And though the minicell liner extended enough to pad the edge, the pinch between the compressed foam and my skull split the skin over my forehead like a squeezed grape. My eyebrows drooped down almost covering my eyes and I bled like a stuck hog. I’m sure it was a horrific sight.
Good crew, level heads, assist from raft company (Thanks Alpine) and 50 stitches later, good as old. The scar is right in a forehead crease and almost unnoticeable.
Until that incident, I had never even considered a pinch issue.
I’ve run on, again. Good luck. I’d like to see your paper.
Sawyer
Too strict
"I think the regulation should cover what the helmets are made out of…"
Absolutely not. That locks you into a specific technology and discourages innovation. Define appropriate test standards and let the manufacturers figure out how to meet them.
good luck with the paper
and i hope you find original sources and cite specific incidents and have actual statistics BEFORE you end up deciding that there “ought to be a law” about helmets.
and while i would agree that a helmet is an important piece of gear and wear one whenever there is a real risk of head injury (ww, surf, play days on the sea), i feel that it’s MY decision to wear one or not. it’s MY head. i would hope any legislation fails and never even gets written into a bill. too often laws are written by folks that either have an agenda or the law is ill conceived because legislators don’t have a grasp of what it is they are legislating. and i can understand their not understanding…but then if that’s the case, STOP. but birds fly, bees sting and legislators legislate…i guess it’s just the nature of things.
why not assume everyone is at least as smart as the next guy? why try to outlaw dumb?
my vote is for folks to stop trying to save me from my own decisions.
Telling your wife
you’d like to buy another boat
What paper covers.
For the type of plastic. I didnt mean I would regulated it to the fact that it limits innovation but to make sure people arent wearing EVA foam or Minicel foam in their helmets, or even using PE plastic. The helmet regulations would stop people from using bike and caver helmets on the water.(somthing I have seen before)
To the person that says its his choice not to where the helmet. I can understand and in some way agree with you. But, It used to be your choice to wear a saftey belt and now its illegal to not wear one. Hence Road Fatalities are down. For Motorcycles most states now at least have an age law wear people under 21 have to wear a helmet. My thing is its not just your life. Say you wear a lesser queality helmet. During a roll it shifts and you take a rock to the temple. You are now unconscience floating towards a hole. Now people are going to risk their neck and to save yours. So it does involve other people’s well being unlike a motorcyle where all you are going to hurt is yourself.
“However, I’m skeptical of the need for such regulations. Have you talked to Charlie Walbridge? What is the number of head injuries? What percentages of those are attributable to poor design? Are you familiar with the “Hand Formula?” What standards would apply? Who would establish them? Who would enforce them? What would be the cost of compliance for current manufacturers? Would the market bear those costs? Would it require gov. subsidy? Would the consequences of the imposition of regulations penalize the good actors as well as the bad actors in the market? Would that be fair? Would that be a stifling precedent for future shoestring innovators? Would the burden of compliance be a disincentive for the development of improvement? Would standards provide a safe haven that discourages product improvement?”
^This is exactly what I was looking for and thankyou very much for the new ideas and no I have talk to Charlie and will try to find a way to contact him.
okay…
so you said…“To the person that says its his choice not to where the helmet. I can understand and in some way agree with you. But, It used to be your choice to wear a saftey belt and now its illegal to not wear one. Hence Road Fatalities are down. For Motorcycles most states now at least have an age law wear people under 21 have to wear a helmet. My thing is its not just your life. Say you wear a lesser queality helmet. During a roll it shifts and you take a rock to the temple. You are now unconscience floating towards a hole. Now people are going to risk their neck and to save yours. So it does involve other people’s well being unlike a motorcyle where all you are going to hurt is yourself.”
so…
i have no idea what the highway fatality statistics are regarding seat belts. you’re probably right - your’re safer if you stay in teh vehicle and don’t get propelled out the windshield…common sense BUT it should be the drivers decision. and for that matter, what has the increase been in other life altering, traumatic injury been? accidents that may have killed folks in the past - are they now just maiming folks and putting them on long term care? and how much of that decrease in fatality can be attributed to increased safety built into vehicles?
concerning helmet laws on motorcycles? 21? so at a certain age you become intelligent, wise and experienced enough to make your own decisions? what if you were raised riding bikes? and if you were, you probably already wear a helmet and no one needs to tell you to wear one.
concerning kayak rescue scenario - if a professional risks their neck to rescue you…that’s their choice too, right? they sought out and have a high risk job. if they didn’t want the job, they wouldn’t have it. and while i am not advocating putting yourself in harms way (in your personal estimation with all the good or bad decision making that entails) because you think you will have someone rescue you…understand that if you do need rescue and professionals respond…it’s their job/vocation/life and it’s what they freely chose.
as for an injury that occurs when it’s just you and your buds paddling and they effect a rescue…they are under no requirement or onus to rescue you. if they CHOOSE to do so, then that was their decision. if you CHOOSE to paddle with someone who isn’t wearing a helmet or the “wrong” helmet, then that’s your decision and you need to understand the ramifications of your decision.
if you paddle with an outfitter, that outfitter will require you to wear one because of their insurance…and that’s about as much legislation i see room for personally.
we allow smoking and that has been proven to cause cancer and emphysema and all sorts of things. why is that legal? we allow folks to eat fried chicken and while delicious, it isn’t good for you. how can that be legal? alcohol…how many people have died from that? still legal. in all, these things have and will kill legion more folks than any run anywhere ever has.
i wish folks would stop trying to dictate what should be a personally recognized risk and responsibility.
Question
Perhaps I missed a crucial nugget of info somewhere in this thread. Are we talking legislation to require people to wear helmets or regulations establishing helmet build quality and impact protection suitability?
Phreon
Why not?
“I didnt mean I would regulated it to the fact that it limits innovation but to make sure people arent wearing EVA foam or Minicel foam in their helmets, or even using PE plastic.”
If someone can build a helmet that passes the tests using those materials, why restrict them?