Used or Crashed Helmets? I'll take 'em

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DSoup

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Hey,

I was wondering how many people had helmets that had been in a crash they were going to throw out.

I want to do some research into where impacts occurred and how the helmets dissipated energy and which features helped. I have access to lab facilities but not additional funding (at this point) to purchase new Helmets to run destructive testing on so if there are used/crashed helmets out there people are either throwing away I'll take 'em. We've all heard anecdotes about what constitutes a safe helmet, but I at least haven't been able to find any concrete evidence resulting from destructive testing. If any results are seen after preliminary testing it may lead to a thesis project and the results would add to the body of knowledge behind motorcycle testing.

Send me a PM if you're interested. The Helmets wouldn't be traceable back to anyone, but I would ask for a brief description of the Helmet's history including where is was stored, any drops, appx usage, accidents and conditions it was used in to see if those have a correlation to protectiveness.

Thanks

Also any thoughts on research methodology or results you'd like to see would be appreciated. Right now ideas are still being thrown around.
 
Im assuming you're familiar with the SHARP helmet test from the UK. That study ****** off most of the helmet manufacturers and was deemed to have a faulty approach by many. If you're not familiar with it you should be! I have no helmet for you (as of right now) but its a bump and keeps this in my subscribed for when i fall down at the track.

Might also want to post this in the track section as most experienced guys dont even venture into the general forum as it's mostly nonsense.
 
I did read it, and it's part of my presentation package actually :D

I don't intend to repeat what they've done, I'm more interested on how helmets DID hold up in a crash after use compared to brand new helmets in factory condition under very controlled test. So looking for signs of micro-compression, measuring the change of density in the foam and seeing how many G's it did dissipate. With the uncrashed helmets I get (if I get any) I plan on seeing how much of a difference in material properties there are between them and brand new materials
 
While I can't help add to your collection at the moment I'd be very curious to hear what conclusions you come to.

My two biggest questions when it comes to helmets is firstly if there is any difference in the impact absorbing material or if they're all basically using the same technology. If so then the only real difference would be shell construction?

I was also told at a motorcycle shop by their apparel girl, that scorpion had told her the exo 400 while heavier actually gives more protection in a crash because the polycarbonate will split on hard impact, and that dissipates more energy then fiberglass/kevlar helmets that would crush. The explanation makes sense at face value but I'm no engineer and have no idea if there's any truth to that.
 
I think that's unsubstatiated. Both cracking and crushing takes elastic energy and in that case mode of impact would have a bigger difference than type of crack, but I'll add that to the list of questions.
 
i got a helmet if you want it.
 
in all the crashed polypro shell helmets i've seen (close to a hundred, i have access to inspect through an insurance company), i have once(!) seen a crack, and im not convinced that it was not a manufacturing error (bubbles in the shell).

a plastic helmet will bend inward, then drastically bounce out, which is why many people can say, "all it had was a little scratch"
 
I was once in a group where guy was saying he would not trust his $1300 carbon fiber helmet anymore if it was dropped from waist height. One hit and "Internal micro cracks" develop which render it unsafe??? Everybody kept nodding in approval, I said nothing also but wtf man, what if you high side, hit your head and continue to roll and bounce to a stop. By that logic on second or third hit helmet would probably split open like a watermelon.
 
Are you doing this in part of some academic partaking or for your own research? I have about 3 or 4 crashed helmets over the years. They're on my trophy shelf now, but I can be convinced to part with them for a good cause.
 
It started as own research, but after talking with an old materials professor, it might turn into a masters by expanding the parameters. It's been something in the works for about 2 years now doing research into what is available out there. Not surprisingly there isn't much, and what is publicly available is useless since it's either marketing or has no quantifiable results.
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