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NEWS
Head impacts by the numbers
A new road helmet in the US is forcing motorcyclists to think a little bit more about bike-accident-related head injuriesThe pros and cons of a full-face helmet versus those of an open-face is one of motorcycling’s eternal debates, but now an American helmet company is fanning the flames of that argument with a new full-face lid thanks to its innovative and though-provoking graphics.
The latest addition to Icon’s Airframe series of helmets, the Statistic, is adorned with sections boldly proclaiming a percentage – the figure in question being the proportion of the time that a rider is likely to suffer an impact to that area of the head in a motorcycle accident.
The figures themselves come from a study called The Hurt Report, which was a comprehensive review of motorcycle accidents carried out in the US. Admittedly the report was published way back in 1981 but it did take in over 900 spills in Los Angeles in a two-year period, and while helmet technology may have changed the multitude of ways we generally fall off bikes hasn’t. By the way, the title of that report isn’t as literal as it may seem – it stems from the author’s name, Professor Harry Hurt.
It comes as no surprise to learn that, in that study, the greatest number of impacts affected the chin piece, at 15.2 per cent. The top of the head was least likely to sustain a hit, at just 0.4 per cent.
It’s a neat bit of artistic licence that’s sure to generate plenty of discussion anywhere motorcyclists congregate – and especially where supporters of open-face helmets are in the mix.
To that end, Icon’s Airframe Statistic, which has only just been released in the USA, will get riders talking about motorcycle safety – which in itself can only be a positive thing.
Sadly the brand doesn’t appear to have an Australian importer at the moment, so it looks like those discussions will be limited to the US market for the time being.
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Written byBikesales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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