Do helmets that are primarily marketed/branded to particular regions stick to the safety guidelines to that region?

If that is true, does that mean Giro, Specialized, Bell all stick to the US standard (CSPC?) and Kask, Rudy project to the European one, and OGK Kabuto to the Japanese? Don't even know whether Taiwanese brands like Giant has its own Taiwanese standard.

I understand that there is a whole list under different standards that need to be tested and it's like comparing apples to oranges. But for the most important items (eg. impact test) can one make a comparison? Is that a general consensus as to which region's standards are more "stringent" and "safer"?

It doesn't matter. They are all equally useless.

It's complicated. What your head hits, how it hits it, how hard it hits it, and how your head/brain responds to the impact are all highly variable. Tests take a few idealized/generalized scenarios and compare the performance of the helmet against idealized/generalized criteria. A helmet that performs better than another in a given suite of tests may perform worse than the other in another suite of tests. In some cases being good at one test will make it worse in another. For example, helmets that are most protective for high speed impacts may be less protective at moderate speed impacts. And both tests may not be indicative of how it will perform for you in some specific crash that's will almost certainly be different from the test conditions.

I have 3 broken bicycle helmets on a shelf and have thrown out at least two more all of which I broke in crashes. I'm convinced they all mitigated the physical damage and injury to some extent. Having also raced motorcycles, I've trashed a few of those helmets in crashes too.

To what extent do current bicycle helmets protect against skull fractures and "contusions on the brain"?

I think it would suit you. You could also get a big jersey with "HONEST" on it.

All citation is selective. As your post smacks of cliché and foolishness I'll help you: I'm emphasizing the fact that helmet pushers have been arguing that they can save lives through attentuating the main mechanism of brain damage: DAI. Now that it's been show that that's not the case they're moving on to a sneakier goal.

You may be claim to be honest, but I give you more credit than to believe that you're not aware of the above.

RazrSkuter - Personal insults aside, as they lend nothing to the discussion at hand, You are correct, you did specify the article dicussion as limited to concussive injury. I stand corrected. And for the record, I am in agreement that bicycle helmets are way overrated, in my opinion mostly because the real risk reduction is not nearly as much as proponents claim. Especially as related to concussive injury. I was overzealous in my interpretation of your comment, and mis-read that you were claiming that helmets were useless against all injury.

I apologize. I was irritated by being called "dishonest".

Why? You have been in the past, and the post he replied to is similar -- you quote selectively where the article supports your claim that helmets do nothing or little where concussions are concerned, but forget about the part which howsteepitis quoted.

If you're questioning information reported in the article, why did you cite it as a source regarding concussions?

Oh, right, because it says what you want to hear in one part, but not the other...

There were two recent fatalities here in Southern California this year that on the surface bears this out. The problem with this is that saying that because some people suffer fatal head injuries while wearing a helmet, that helmets never do any good. (both fatalities were from head trauma in sanctioned races with manditory helmets) This just isn't true. Last time I fell off my bike I struck my head hard enough that I would have suffered a possible concusion. I value that grey stuff between my ears so I will continue to wear one.

What this does point out is that we need better helmets, and that all of those standards are inadequate. Asthetics seem to be a larger driving factor in helmet design than functionality and safety.

.......welcome to the Helment Thread.

No we don't need better helmets. You're more likely to suffer a head injury in the car or in the shower than you are on a bike. Do you wear a helmet when you're showering? Why not? DON'T YOU KNOW PEOPLE DIE FROM HITTING THEIR HEAD IN THE SHOWER!!!!!

C'MON SHEEPLE!!! WEAR YOUR HELMETS!!!!

maybe due to previous experiences, I am "scared" to ride without a helmet, even though it is just a 1km to my neighborhood 7-11. I wear seat belts in my car even though it's only a 1-km trip and I think I know my shower head pretty well (hi Bob) that I don't have to worry being hit by unknown objects. I know helmets are not meant to protect me under all circumstances but the fact that it offers a cushion make me feel safer.

...this is exactly why I shower infrequently.

helments cramp my style.

The main thing that baffles me is people who ride up a long climb with their handlebars wearing a helmet. If only there's an easy place I could store a helmet while climbing...oh, right, on my head.

ftfy

Don't wear helmets, wear wool beanies!

I got in touch with black ice under a little bit of snow a little while ago. The bike just disappeared under me and I was plowing the road before I knew it.
Luckily I had my thick wool beanie on which softened the impact of my head hitting the ice. The beanie did not crack or break since... well it's a beanie. But I am sure it did compress and take most of the impact. Without it I am sure I would not be writing this since I would surely have serious TBI or I might even be dead.

Wear your wool beanies people!

(do i have to use the sarcasm mark somewhere?)

More importantly watch out for black ice. That's not prejudice is it?

It may be "invisible" on women wearing a neck scarf or Shakespearean actors in full period costume but I think I rather wear a chunk of Styrofoam on my head than a big fluffy horse collar around my neck. In cooler areas it could be the perfect thing for commuters but I can see those being very uncomfortable in warm weather. Not something I think I'll be trying but kudos to the developers for coming up with such an innovative alternative.

This is actually really cool. Neck protection as well. Very good Idea for colder weather where having the necessary layers under the helmet is practically impossible.

But also demonstrates how mandatory helmet laws are a sucky thing. Are you allowed to use such a contraption in stead of an actual helmet. Probably not. Or at least one would be stopped by the Fuzz way too frequently.

I have been cycling for many years, most of my life in fact. Last spring I bought a helmet for the first time. I really wasn't thinking and I bought a black helmet (they shouldn't even make black helmets) and as a result, my biking was really reduced during the summer. I was overheating far too much and becoming a danger to myself. But now that I've bought the stupid thing, I could never forgive myself if I had an accident without the helmet and was hurt. The what ifs would drive me crazy.

So as the seasons changed, I've been trying to do more biking. Last night I had a short errand to run. It was at 10:00 at night at the 40th latitude (sun set was around 5:00), 64F with 1mph winds, perfect bicycling conditions. I decided to turn my errand into a ride, but it was still a fairly short ride, about 8-10 miles. This helmet is killing me. I was so overheated by the time I got home that I left my backpack outside which is something I never do. So today I did some searching for sunstroke and bike helmets and I thought that my long hair was a significant factor, but from what I am reading, it's not. This helmet is causing me to be sloppy because of heat and the fatigue caused by the heat, even in 64F night time weather. Maybe, when it's 35F out, the helmet will contribute to my comfort, but I am now convinced that unless it is outright cold outside (and it really doesn't get that cold where I live most of the time), a bike helmet is increasing the risk of an accident and not making me safer. Also, one of the reasons I got the stupid thing in the first place was that I had an fall in the rain. There was a huge pothole that I couldn't see. I did hit my head on the ground, but most of the brunt of that fall was road burn. I hit just above my right eye in that fall and most of that impact had already been absorbed by my forearms. I put the helmet on today and did a simulation kind of, where I knelt on the ground and tried to place the exact spot on the ground, it didn't reach. I think, had I had been wearing the helmet, that the helmet would have hit the ground and pushed my head backwards thus causing a neck injury. I can never know this for sure, but there was an Australian website that said this type of thing can happen, that the cords can cause twisting injuries and also talked about the heat issue, which has been my major issue. Certainly the fact that it's black isn't helping during the daylight hours, but overheating in 64F light riding long after sunset is something that has never happened to me before. I also forgot to mention that I even had a hard time dismounting when I reached my gate. I was so overheated that I could not competently perform the most basic bike maneuver.

I know this is a contentious issue, but does anyone have any links to disinterested peer-reviewed literature about bike helmets, pros and cons and maybe even personal experience with reducing this heat fatigue. I am, especially after last night, worried about having an accident BECAUSE of the damn helmet.

Chris

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, Are you for real? There is 252 pages of documentation on this thread, have fun reading it all.

I don't plan on falling of my bicycle.
I don't plan to land on my head if I do.
If I do, however, I want to give myself the best chance of Surviving.
I recognize that a helmet does not guarantee it, but common sense tells me it will at least improve my chances.

I see that the anti helmet cult is still railing against helmets. However a large percentage of us are still wearing them, and helmets are still for sale. The anti helmet types are just peeing into the wind.

...I wear a helmet regularly in Sacramento California year around. I seem to be
able to deal with the heat, in spite of temperatures close to 100*f on regular occasions.

I did pick a white one, and it has ventilation openings all over it.

Try drinking more water....I don't really get how you can overheat with temps in the 60's.