Monday 7th June 2004

Joke Ears can Kill

What do you know about crash helmets?

---

Horse-riders have better information on the head protection available to them than motorcyclists, despite smaller numbers and far fewer accidents.

That was the message at a motorcyclists conference held by the IAM recently. More than 150 IAM delegates heard that British Equestrian Federation has a helmet assessment programme that provides far more consumer information than anything available to bikers.

IAM staff examiner Jon Taylor pointed out that in Europe in 2002, there were nearly 5000 motorcyclists killed or seriously injured.

"More than 75 per cent of motorcyclist deaths or serious injuries involve head injuries of some sort. The DfT is now overseeing a workshop dealing with helmet issues but a lot needs to be done if targets for casualty reduction are to be met," said Jon.

As well as being a Motorcycle Staff Examiner and current motorcycle examiner with the IAM, Jon is also a Class One police certificate holder for both cars and bikes.

"I was surprised to find that horse riders have a wealth of information regarding the standard of hats and helmets available to them – but that there is no real equivalent for motorcycle riders.

"Jokey ears on the side are not so funny if you come off a bike. I am sure many riders are unaware that they can actually increase the injuries received by increasing the likelihood of rotation on impact with the road," said Mr Taylor.

"This can directly effect injuries to the neck and brain due to increased rotational forces. Head impact energy is proportional to head impact speed and improving the performance of the helmet lining has a large effect on reducing injuries to the brain. A 24 per cent improvement in the absorption qualities of the lining will result in a 30 per cent reduction of AIS 5-6 injuries - that is, serious or fatal."

However a 30 per cent improvement to the lining will bring about a 50 per cent reduction in injuries, he said.

"Reducing fatal and serious head injuries by 20 per cent is now a UK national road safety target and this would go a long way to meeting those aims."

"We all need to be better informed about the helmet we are choosing to buy," said Mr Taylor. "The adoption of the EuroNCAP scheme star rating for motorcyclists’ helmets would help greatly in this regard. You would finally be able to choose your helmet based on its ability to protect you.

Link : www.iam.org.uk

[zzr1200]

I had an eagle try to attack me whilst riding in Germany because I was wearing joke ears, scared the sh*t out of me!! haven't worn them since!

Paul

[dern]

It's by raising the awareness of these sort of issues that darwinism is thwarted and the stupid live on.

Stick on ears really do not make you look quirky, likeable, cute or a bit of a joker that people would like to get to know... they just make you look like a cock.

All IMHO of course

Mark

[freedee]

]It's by raising the awareness of these sort of issues that darwinism is thwarted and the stupid live on.

Stick on ears really do not make you look quirky, likeable, cute or a bit of a joker that people would like to get to know... they just make you look like a cock.

All IMHO of course

Mark[/quote]
Exactly what I was thinking, seeing fellow "bikers" wearing these made selling my bike that much easier!

[fergus]

dern said:

It's by raising the awareness of these sort of issues that darwinism is thwarted and the stupid live on. Stick on ears really do not make you look quirky, likeable, cute or a bit of a joker that people would like to get to know... they just make you look like a cock.

Couldn't agree more. If you can't do your own research into lids, then buy what you want & be prepared to take the consequences. There are a lot of brainless feckers out there. As for stick on things, the less said the better. It really is hard to take someone seriously if they tool around with strap-ons on their heads....

[BliarOut]

Bell used to run an advert with the tagline "If you've got a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet." It stuck in my mind.

It's more than the difference between life and death to me, it's more about the difference between being ok in a crash, or spending the rest of your life in a persistent vegatative state.

Silly stick on things, they make you look a total cunt!

[Don]

dern said:

Stick on ears really do not make you look quirky, likeable, cute or a bit of a joker that people would like to get to know... they just make you look like a cock. All IMHO of course

No. Its not just your opinion. A large body of scientific evidence also points to the fact that stick on ears make you look like a tool.

[Davel]

Imagine waking up in hospital to find that they've stitched them on to your head, after the ambulance crew found them in the road

[cdp]

At last sense and safety in the same article. NCAP style tests on helmets would make buying them much easier. I can only imagine they must be fairly hard to make representative or repeatable - or is it just that nobody could be bothered before?

>> Edited by cdp on Tuesday 8th June 16:28