A sensor construction to measure contact between helmet and neck brace during motocross riding

Abstract

Motocross racing is widely associated with a high risk of injuries, and those to the cervical spine are often regarded as the most severe. To prevent such injuries neck braces are worn, which distribute the forces to adjacent body structures. However, many riders refuse to wear these braces due to a reduced freedom of movement of the head, which might lead to reduced performance. In this paper a simple low-cost measuring system to record the contact locations and contact times between the helmet and neck brace in motocross riding is presented and evaluated. This system can be used to evaluate the influence of neck braces during common riding situations specific to motocross, but is not designed to evaluate the functionality of neck braces in the case of crashes. The setup consists of 12 miniature push-buttons, mounted on the underside of the helmet at equally distributed distances. With the setup presented, on-track measurements are conducted on a motocross track and the results are evaluated for total ride duration, single laps and special riding situations typical for motocross (turns, bumps and jumps). Our results show that contact between helmet and brace is common (average contact time: 17% of riding duration), and that the measurement system delivers reliable data and can be used to evaluate the helmet–brace contact, leading to further improvements in neck brace design and freedom of movement for the rider.