Commuting - Crash factor of Helmet Mount Mirror

After talking to a couple of people about helmet mounted mirrors the general concensious is that the helmet mount mirrors are too dangerous. Could jam back through the helmet and jab you through the head in a crash. Sounds like an urban legend to me...

Anybody ever heard of the helmet mount mirrors *causing* head wounds during a crash?

O and the broken glass could put out your eye.

Sounds doubtful.

I hit a curb at 35mph (great tailwind, little bitty curb cut) once. The fork on my bike crumpled on impact, and I flew over the handlebars in a perfect Greg Lougnais layout dismount. I always wear a Third Eye helmet mirror (the kind that is glued to the helmet, not the velcro one) and I augered into the ground on the left side of my head right above my eye (first point to hit the ground), pivoted on that point and slammed into the ground on my back as I rotated around my forehead. (I never, ever have been knocked out during any crash. I get to experience them in full detail :o ) I don't recall where the mirror went but I can still see out of my left eye :D

I use one of these. I see no way it could ever cause injury. The arm is flexible and the mirror isn't even "glass."

http://www.cycleaware.com/images-product/reflex-motion.gif

After talking to a couple of people about helmet mounted mirrors the general concensious is that the helmet mount mirrors are too dangerous. Could jam back through the helmet and jab you through the head in a crash. Sounds like an urban legend to me...

Anybody ever heard of the helmet mount mirrors *causing* head wounds during a crash?

Never heard of that happening. Most of the People I know or see have the "Take A Look" mirror.

I have hear about and experienced, seeing a car coming too close from behind in the mirror and moving over to prevent being hit. Or just to make the margin of error wider by allowing more space.

I had to move over once to avoid being hit in the back by the mirror on a truck. It almost touched my arm
after I moved over.

I don't know of any that are glass.

I hit a curb at 35mph (great tailwind, little bitty curb cut) once. The fork on my bike crumpled on impact, and I flew over the handlebars in a perfect Greg Lougnais layout dismount. I always wear a Third Eye helmet mirror (the kind that is glued to the helmet, not the velcro one) and I augered into the ground on the left side of my head right above my eye (first point to hit the ground), pivoted on that point and slammed into the ground on my back as I rotated around my forehead. (I never, ever have been knocked out during any crash. I get to experience them in full detail :o ) I don't recall where the mirror went but I can still see out of my left eye :D

Sorry to hear that cyccoC --sounds painful. What sort of mirror were you using?

I use the same one as Portis, the Cycle Aware Reflex. The mirror will easily come off during a crash. It's made to be removed or to fall off in the event of a crash. No way is it dangerous. What's dangerous is not knowing what's behind you.

Sorry to hear that cyccoC --sounds painful. What sort of mirror were you using?

It didn't hurt as much as getting hit by a car or taking a handle bar to the chest or letting go the the handlebars when I went off a jump or getting knocked off my bike by Pete Steele when he turned in front of me unexpectedly or, finally, slipping on wet rocks and bashing 2 ribs in while fishing (and the fish weren't worth it either :D ) It did kill my first suspension fork which hurt more.

The mirror is, and was, a Third Eye Pro (http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/MR407M00-3Rd+Eye+Pro+Mirror.aspx). I like them better than any of the other Third Eye mirrors.

Guess glass wouldn't be a factor if most of 'em don't use actual mirrors.

After talking to a couple of people about helmet mounted mirrors the general concensious is that the helmet mount mirrors are too dangerous.
Just curious. Did these people have any experience (or anecdotal evidence) to come to this conclusion? Or was it merely conjecture?

I use one of these. I see no way it could ever cause injury. The arm is flexible and the mirror isn't even "glass."

http://www.cycleaware.com/images-product/reflex-motion.gif

Got a source/link for this mirror? Looks interesting.

Just curious. Did these people have any experience (or anecdotal evidence) to come to this conclusion? Or was it merely conjecture?

lsits, Mostly skeptical comments no evidence....made me think it might be hog wash. I like it when proved wrong.

I wonder why they keeps selling cheap bike junk mirrors if they're such a hazard.
From the bicycle safety institute: http://www.helmets.org/ideal.htm

6. Mirrors and Visors
We use mirrors and believe that any vehicle on the roads needs one. The eyeglass-mounted ones can present a gouging hazard in a crash, so we prefer the helmet-mounted version. It's tiny, but works surprisingly well. Some users are bothered by glare or the setting sun and find that a visor can work wonders for them. (If you use contact lenses, try a visor.) But we avoid visors as just another impediment to smooth sliding in a crash. And they are not tested under any current U.S. bike helmet standard for such hazards as shattering in an impact, which can mean a nasty facial or eye injury. They should probably be reserved for those times when you are riding into a low sun or are riding slowly enough in rain for them to keep your eyes or glasses clear. In addition to mirrors and visors, some commuters prefer helmet-mounted headlights or rear blinkers.

At very least, a visor or a mirror or any other external accessory should be on a breakaway mount such as hook-and-loop tape. Many helmet manufacturers now provide visors, and most of them are properly equipped with breakaway mounts. But nobody has a provision for a mirror mount, or for mounting lights, so you are on your own to add those. Keep in mind that you don't want anything up there than can snag. Do not attach a light or anything else to your helmet with screws! Even the hook-and-loop tape has some breakaway resistance, and leaves a patch of not-very-slippery tape on the surface of the helmet after the accessory breaks away. The trade-off is up to you. One mirror alternative is the new tiny stick-on mirror that sticks to the inside surface of your riding glasses. These may work for some riders, but if you have big hair on the sides they are out.

I disagree with the eyeglass mounting being dangerous. I used the Third Eye eyeglass mount until it broke recently. Most of the mirror clips over the side of the glasses (the arms?), and only the mirror protrudes in from of my left lens. Worst I could imagine would be a good scrape on the side of my skull from the broken plastic or the plastic mirror hitting my lenses. If you're wearing eye protection, a mirror shouldn't be any more of a risk than a junebug.

I have a Blackburn helmet mount now. I find this one harder to adjust properly, but it snaps off it's mount plate very easy, similar to the one Portis shows above. I bumped it on my locker and the thing popped off off immediately, so I feel the same way about the helmet mount as far as safety goes.