Originally Posted by
Stix Zadinia
I broke my helmet on a really stupid fall crossing a wet pedestrians bridge (my bad for not obeying the 'get off your bike' sign, too), about 2 weeks ago.
I began bleeding and got my eye almost shut close by the swelling. Luckily, it was just a few blocks away from my destination, so as soon as I arrived, they sent me to the ER and were kind as to store my bike. My Aeon helmet actually took most of the hit so I guess it saved my face (and specially my eye) from a much more serious injury. It's still structurally functional I think, so I'm going to keep on using it for now, as it is an expensive helmet (even though it will have to be replaced, eventually). In any case I leave a picture, if anyone has opinions on the condition of the helmet:
^^^^
The damage in the picture looks very bad. What is
VERY concerning to me is that the impact absorbing foam looks to have been deeply compressed (besides being cracked). The helmet will no longer be able to protect/minimize BRAIN INJURY should you fall on left side of your head in future.
IF IT WAS MY HELMET I would contact the maker of the the helmet with the details of the accident and offering to send the helmet back (pictures of helmet and injuries are helpful) and see if they will replace the helmet or discount the purchase of a new helmet. I know Giro/Bell do this, so they can study exactly how the materials performed in real world accidents.
I would NOT use that helmet.
Instead I would purchase a less expensive helmet immediately. All helmets sold in U.S.A. must meet mandated minimum level of impact protection. Trade off with cheaper helmet is less Convenience (sizing/strap adjustment is not as easy/quick), Comfort (ventilation/sweat management not as well designed) and with many of the higher/top end helmets, more rigorous third party vetted testing.