Abstract
Regulation ECE-22.05/06 does not require a helmet penetration test. Penetration testing is controversial since it has been shown that it may cause the helmet to behave in a non-desirable stiff way in real-world crashes. This study aimed to assess the effect of the penetration test in the impact performance of helmets. Twenty full-face motorcycle helmets were penetration tested at multiple locations of the helmet shell. Then, 10 helmets were selected and split into two groups (hard shell and soft shell) depending on the results of the penetration tests. These 10 helmets were then drop tested at front, lateral, and top areas at two different impact speeds (5 m/s and 8.2 m/s) to assess their impact performance against head injuries. The statistical analyses did not show any significant difference between the two groups (hard/soft shell) at 5 m/s. Similar results were observed at 8.2 m/s, except for the top area of the helmet in which the peak linear acceleration was significantly higher for the soft shell group than for the hard shell group (230 ± 12 g vs. 211 ± 11 g; p-value = 0.038). The results of this study suggest that a stiffer shell does not necessarily cause helmets to behave in a stiffer way when striking rigid flat surfaces. These experiments also showed that hard shell helmets can provide better protection at higher impact speeds without damaging helmet performance at lower impact speeds.
Highlights
About 4000 people died in 2019 in the European Union as a direct result of moped and motorcycle crashes, accounting for 18% of the total motor vehicle fatalities [1]
peak resultant linear acceleration (PLA) was significantly higher for the soft shell group (p-value = 0.0381) but only when the testing point was the P location. These results suggest that the effective PLA and head injury criterion (HIC) values provided by the helmet in drop tests are influenced by other parameters different from the shell stiffness alone
The objective of this study was to provide insight into the effects of including a penetration test, which is the main driver that determines helmet shell thickness and of its stiffness, in order to improve the protective performance of helmets
Summary
About 4000 people died in 2019 in the European Union as a direct result of moped and motorcycle crashes, accounting for 18% of the total motor vehicle fatalities [1]. Motorcyclists have an increased risk of injury in case of collision, which is relevant in the case of head injuries [2]. The use of helmets is the most effective way of preventing motorcyclists’ head injuries [3], and improving the impact performance of helmets leads to reduce the risk of head injury and fatalities. Most helmets are developed and designed according to the requirements prescribed in the relevant helmet standards. The objective of a motorcycle helmet standard is to ensure a minimum level of head protection under some specific test conditions. Methods and requirements vary from one standard to another and, the performance against impact of motorcyclist helmets is influenced by the requirements included in each standard [9,10]
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