6 shocking myths about motorcycle helmets 

This from Jones et al., in 2020. Helmeted patients were less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (20.3% vs. 23.7%, OR 0.82 (0.72-0.93)) and ventilated (7.8% vs. 12.0%, OR 0.62 (0.52-0.75)). Propensity-matched analyses consisted of 2541 pairs and demonstrated helmet use to be associated with an 8% decrease in hospital charges (B −0.075 (0.034)) and a 56% decrease in mortality (OR 0.44 (0.31-0.58)).

Great video! As a neurologist I can attest that surviving a head injury does not mean you will necessarily have a quality of life that you would want. I have many patients with severe head injuries who sadly would rather not live that way. Forget even the severe head injuries, who would want all that road rash on your noggin or face? Not wearing a helmet is pretty dumb.

Great topic, Bret. I was in a serious collision in March of this year. My helmeted head impacted the pavement and drug the left side along the pavement for a good slide. I don't know how far I slid, but I do recall seeing the tarmac rush past my eyes while sliding. I was wearing a HJC carbon fiber modular helmet. The impact and slide separated the communicator (Sena) from the helmet, popped the clear shield off, and ground down to the carbon fiber weave. Had I not had a helmet on, I'd likely be missing a lot of the left side of my chin up to my ear, and some forehead area. Dress for the slide, not the ride.

I've had a couple of accidents where my head met the road. Those impacts MIGHT not have killed me, but my full-face motorcycle helmet allowed me to walk away without even concussion.

I took my 5 year old helmet to the shop that I bought it at to shop for a new one. They asked if they could inspect it and I agreed. They took it apart and discovered that the EPS liner was perfectly in tact. They serviced the hinge on the chin bar and said that I didn't need a new helmet. They did sell me a new liner and cheek pads and the helmet was like new again.

A good tip to get more life from your helmet is to buy an extra set of foam liners when you purchase your helmet, then when the time comes you can replace them. If you wait until that point to buy them they are often no longer available as your helmet has been replaced with a newer model. Also take the liner out and wash it at the end of summer or more often if you ride often.

Fortunately I learned 57 years ago how important a helmet was in one quick moment with a brush with a telephone pole. I hated to wear it to high school because probably it wasn't cool. However the skid mark of creosote from the pole changed my mind. My next helmet was a full coverage Premier. I have mentioned to people since that you still may die wearing a full coverage helmet but it guarantees an open casket. Ride on. Good video.

Thanks Bret, really enjoyed that video. About two and a half years ago I was involved in a traffic crash. A car driver pulled out in front of me and I hit him in the drivers door and went over the car onto the highway and landed on my chest on the centre road barrier. I suffered significant injuries. My speed was estimated by Police to be about 75 km/h when I hit the car. I have no memory of the crash. I was wearing an Arai XD4 helmet and jacket and pants with full armour and motorcycle boots. The helmet had some scratch marks on the top left hand side which indicates it must have hit the highway. I suffered a brain injury but the life threatening injuries sustained were to my chest and back even though the jacket had chest and back protection. My injuries may not have been so severe if I had been wearing and air inflatable vest but that’s something I’ll never know. I suffered a really bad hip, leg and ankle injury with my left leg as I think I may have landed on my feet when I touched down because both my lower legs were broken. I think a combination of high quality gear saved my life plus the care I was given initially at the roadside. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that in crash statistics it will show I had a helmet on (compulsory anyway) but my head isn’t where I sustained the worst injuries. However, I would not like to experience a crash like that without having a helmet on. I think there is no doubt my head and brain injuries would have been much worse without the helmet. Keep up the great work 👍🇦🇺

Bret, I get it and agree that both a $150 helmet and a $600 helmet can meet a standard (DOT/SNELL/ECE, etc), and while I think the standards are an important starting point, those are standardized tests under controlled conditions, where real world crashes are anything but. I personally would rather trust my head to an established helmet manufacturer that has been doing this for awhile and has a track record of making safe helmets rather than using the latest internet darlings that still pass current test standards.

Wow I never considered how the ear plugs would actually be better for hearing at 50 mph+ but that does make sense. Good video Bret, thanks. I'd love a deeper look into this.

"you can't drop your helmet with your head in it" what a bummer ...

This video is an excellent helmet overview. It is a lovely review of the literature without introducing personal bias. I am an ER doc commuting by motorcycle since before Med school. Motorcyclists need better information about skill set development and what our safety gear does and does not accomplish. THANK YOU; please support the channel because this channel supports us riders. Again thank you

Great info..I live in a state with no helmet law but I still wear one.. I would like to see you do a video on air bag vests if you could

This was really well thought out, researched, and presented. Thank you for producing it! I think the helmet issues are complex and interesting. As you know, there are also British tests (SHARP) as well as the European standards and the FIM standards. There is also the factor of brand loyalty, country of origin biases, and numerous factors such as the conditions of the distribution warehouses where helmets are stored prior to purchase, and of course the environmental conditions the helmets endure after purchase. I think one concern has been the unknown condition of the foam liner, or layers, over time, and whether it is possible to generalize regarding when to stop trusting that the liners are okay. I have actually had one helmet (mid-priced Harley helmet) “rain” foam particles after just a few years. My current oldest helmet is a six year old XD4, which I seldom use. The comfort pieces (e.g. cheek pads) don’t like to stay locked in, and the helmet is definitely roomier than before. My most recently retired helmet (Corsair X) was only about four years old, but saw much more use than my other helmets, had gone through a few sets of liners, and was showing wear on the chin strap. I think the various standards are the floor, and that it truly is reasonable to believe that some manufacturers use design, materials, hands-on construction, and multi-stage quality checks, that do result in trustworthy products. I have various helmets, including a “good” carbon fiber helmet, but I am accustomed to Aria’s products, and also find the interior materials and construction of the Arais to be of noticeably higher quality than the more affordable, though similarly rated, alternatives. As for safety in general, it is hard to believe that any adult, who has likely had a few hard knocks to the noggin over the years, does not realize our fragility. It doesn’t take much speed or force to effect serious, possibly permanent, injuries. My track experience has led me to use gauntlet gloves and, usually, track boots while riding sport bikes on street, as well as (thanks to your videos) clunky but safe off-road boots with my adventure bikes. At my age, I want to limit the downtime of waiting for bones or tendons and ligaments to heal (I’m sporting a walking boot now, due to a sports overuse injury), and good gear is really cheap insurance. Thank you again for the thought provoking video.

When helmets were introduced for soldiers in the 1st world war the number of troops in hospital with head injuries actually increased which confused the doctors and generals until someone pointed out that those soldiers would have been dead without one.

Excellent video Bret, wearing or not wearing a helmet might save your life after a crash, but not wearing a helmet you might wish you hadn’t survived… put a lid on and think of your family

Really good vid. I wear earplugs all the time even on a 5-minute ride and they have no apparent interference with my hearing. I can attest to the stats that the front of your head is more likely to come in contact with the ground. Many years ago, I was Tee-boned at an intersection where I high-sided after impact, when I woke up with a 750 Katana on my leg, I had gouge marks down the left-hand bottom side of my full-face helmet. The head impact wasn't too hard but without a helmet, the end result could have been different.

Well said Bret! I like the quote; helmets save head injuries; rider choices save lives. I appreciate the open dialog about helmets. I wear one all the time but support everyone's choice to make that decision for themselves.

Great video Brett. Often wondered if the 5 year helmet rule was just marketing. Mandatory helmets here in Australia and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Wearing this one piece of equipment when riding is a no brainer. 👍

An excellent run down on helmets. I hope lots of riders watch this. This is the kind of video that makes youtube worthwhile.

Well presented and I happen to agree with all of the points made. I especially agree that choosing lower levels of protection might not be the difference between life and death, but your injuries might be such that life is no longer the preferred outcome.

Apart from anything else, it's too darn cold to ride without a helmet where I live 😆

A very good video. You may want to update your statement at 1:50 that two helmets are giving the same protection if they comply with the same standard. Some helmet complied with the 22-6 standard before it became a standard. You can find many other examples. That's progress and that's one way standards are developing. You may want to take a look at "The United Nations Motorcycle Helmet Study", 2016, page 25, table 4, "Comparison of tests included in different motorcycle helmet standards or regulations" for other examples. No standard includes everything.

I really like the way you cover the details, the parameters that others may not cover or simply they miss. This comes down to "what is your test group" and you really exploded that out in the Michigan discussion. Great mind!

This is going to be a classic and a must watch for all new motorcycle riders. That last point is very important, about safety mentality and how choosing not to wear PPE might be the determining factor on the longevity of a rider's career.

Thank you for your time and dedication to education, sir. Happy holidays!

I fell off a horse onto a paved road recently with correct headgear and knocked myself out for the first time ever. Doing about 10mph from about 6 feet up. The outer shell was cracked a little. This really made me appreciate my motorcycle helmet even more. It's one bit of kit to really look after and check thoroughly from time to time. If dropped onto stones I'd say it's well worth checking for shell damage due to point impact. Not so bad on a flat surface perhaps. Thanks Bret. Great info as always.

Bret is killing the big industry marketing machine ! One video at a time

A significant number of riders will have anecdotal evidence of a helmet saving their head, Like that time I was street riding in the rain, and my front hit a pedestrian crossing while turning right at super slow speed. The front washed out because of the paint, the bike literally pulled me down and I hit asphalt face first. I got up, hit the kill switch, a guy got out of his car to help me pick up the old bike, checked it out, dusted myself off, and went to the office. This kind of little fall will never make it into the official statistics, because there was no medical attention required. However, nobody will ever convince me that the helmet did not save me from a major concussion*. I'd be willing to bet that if every little story like mine was added to the statistics... the picture would become a LOT more favorable to helmets. * I did suffer symptoms of a minor concussion like slight nausea, some dizziness when turning my head etc., but didn't go to a doctor because I'm an idiot like that.

Another great video, Bret. Thanks for the clarity!

In Austria, after wearing helmets became mandatory in the late 70s, the number of organ donors dropped dramatically. (Rem.: every Austrian citizen is a potential organ donor unless they decline before the accident.) I don't need any other statistics.

Hi Bret - this is the first time I’ve ever commented on a RU-vid vid. Thank you so much for this video. Well researched and well presented. Even in Australia (where we have to wear helmets), this is such a significant piece of knowledge for us all to know. Thank you.

About the outer liner: About 30 years ago I was at the Schuberth factory (then in Braunschweig). They had old shells on the roof, 365 days in sunlight. What they said 30 years ago: The "plastics" of the outer shell are much better than in the 70ies and should last half a lifetime. Whereas the inner liner... Of course you should be careful about your helmet. The best helmet is the one that fits your head best. Thanks for your myth busting, Günter/Nürnberg

My last crash was a 50 mph highside where I face planted on the pavement. The face shield was worn almost all the way through along with the the chin bar. My riding jacket and pants had hole through the the armor. My boots had hole to where you could see my socks. I walked away with a 3/4" road rash on my wrist from my glove rolling down, bruised and stiff and sore. I was okay after the crash rode the bike home with bent bars and foot peg.

Thanks Bret for another great video! Factual and informative, you give us so much valuable information, and WITHOUT advertising. Many thanks to you and everyone who supports you! And YES of course we want more of this 💕😄😀

I grew up hill climbing. I have this nice natural smile, because I started off using a full face helmet. Several occasions I would have lost my teeth if I didn’t have that helmet. I always wear a helmet, boots and jacket at the minimum, since they don’t make a business casual motorcycle pant, on all my rides. A helmet is not required in Montana, but I still remember those face impacts 45 years ago, so always wear a helmet. THANK YOU for the 5 year thing. That one has bugged me forever

always super content Sir. Bret .. keeping to following you..

Excellent video. yes please extended vid with more info and even a rant will be awesome. thanks for another awesome video.

Excellent video! We all love riding videos, the latest and greatest bikes and gear, but this was one of the best motorcycle content videos I have seen in a while. Factual thought provoking and it does not matter which side of the helmet laws you fall on it is worth the watch. Well done, thank you for the work that does into content like this.

Safe riding approach saves lives - probably more so than the helmet itself. Great video Bret!

In 1978 as a young man I crashed my dirt bike and landed on my head and shoulder after flying 140' through the air. Back in those days we had 3/4 helmets mostly, full coverage were new and quite expensive. My Bell helmet was broken in half and hung in my buddies garage from the chin strap. Helmets have come a long way. I had a skull fracture and lost 3 days I'll never remember (in hospital), a broken collarbone and shoulder blade, and four broken ribs. I'm lucky to be alive (landed in a recently plowed field) per the doctors and nurses. I still ride but always wear my safety gear. Thanks for making this video.

Excellent job on this video! I ride with a full faced helmet anytime I leave my neighborhood. However I almost never ride with a helmet if I’m on my scooter with my dogs around my neighborhood. I will say I split the back of my head open riding at night in my neighborhood because I hit a brick in the road. I hit the concrete so fast and it really scared me. Luckily I was only going about 20mph and it didn’t do any permanent brain damage. Helmets definitely save lives but the brain inside it could prevent most accidents

Once again a fantastic presentation. Thanks for doing this. I grew up riding dirt. Full face only, those rocks, bugs, twigs are killers. I like a modular, but still after 50 years of riding, full face is my go to. Now ear plugs are a must and by far cotton balls work the best and most comfortable.

As usual, you are always providing great information. Thank you!

When I was a little boy, I had a small bicycle... Maybe its gearing was not for speed but I still tried my best at setting some personal record - and the ride ended me lying on the tarmac (it was new!) and afterwards i realised I used my head as a brake. That did not look nice afterwards! Many many years later, I crashed my motorcycle but had learned not to use my head too much. I had a full face helmet and although almost every other part of my body was broken, my head looked very nice!😁

Great job, great video, well thought through and excellent getting the word out to viewers.

Love the bit on earplugs. Wind/road noise is notorious for rider fatigue. You have to discern real noise from the “white noise” of wind and road. I even use earbuds to listen to music. No hearing issues. It protects from wind/road noise, and I don’t play music so loud that I can’t hear what’s going on around me.

Thanks for a very informative and well researched video. It cleared up several questions for me and I appreciate the effort that went into making it.

What a great video! Well, researched and very well presented.

That's a brilliant essay on the subject, superbly presented. 👏 Thanks for doing this.

Very helpful and insightful. Thank you!

great insights. price does not equal safety. love that point

Thank you for this great information. I have cracked two helmets and heavily scraped the face shield and chin bar on another two, and I feel positive that the helmets changed the outcome of my accidents to the better. For me, at least.

I haven't ridden a motorbike in 8 years (just can't afford one at the moment), but this video looked interesting... and it kept my attention right to the end! Very good, informative, and well-researched. Love the practical demonstration. Definitely a video I will pass onto anyone who regurgitates one of those myths.

Thanks for taking the time to do this video much appreciated from Scotland !! ,

I had the same thought when MD pressed to simplify MC licensing in order to get those chronically riding unlicensed as that population was over-represented in riding accidents and death. My hypothesis was that rushing that cohort through licensing would certainly reduce the numbers of unlicensed having bad outcomes but not affect the gross numbers; it'd just move those "bad decisionmakers into the licensed cohort and serve to put our sport in worse light.

Great video. I appreciate your research in the helmet arena.

Great video Bret! This is great information, thank you for the obvious work that went into making it👍. A helmet is a huge part of making the ride better! Love my Arai, gladly PAID, for the fit!

Thank you Bret for this very instructive video. I will add my experience to this regarding “drop it / replace it “. I owned a BMW System 7 helmet (made of carbon fibber) and I was not very careful when I was short moving my motorhome in parking place, so I dropped it at least two times, once from table (less then 1m) and also once from upper bed (about 1m60). I saw no sign of damage. But then I dropped it form my sofa (40cm) and I knew by the sound it made that I f*c**d it. And indeed, the external impact liner was cracked. My understanding is that it was damaged by the previous high fall and/or multiple falls, and that the last one just revealed the previous invisible damages. This may be also related to the strong carbon material that may not be as elastic as others. I ended up replacing it by the same one, and I now have spare parts and internal liner for the new one. My conclusion : damage of a simple drop may not always be visible, but may affect the external liner (especially the made of carbon ones). PS : your video ends at 15:37 but the there is a few minutes blank…

Correlation does not imply causation. Love it. Someone decides it's a good idea to not wear a helmet. What 'good' decisions did they make afterward that caused their head to hit something?

I have been following you for a while and love your content. This a great video; one of your best. I am going to create a blog post of this information and post your video on it so that you get the credit. I hope that gives your stats a little boost. Keep up the great work!!

Good video. I appreciate the brevity and I'll be watching for more of this type.

Thanks Brett. As usual, factual and straight to point. no fillers or tic toc effects.

GREAT VIDEO! I live in the Deep South and temps here often get in the triple digits. For years I’ve worn just a carbon fiber half helmet. But now I’ve change my strategy for what to wear based on where and when I ride. Highway speeds or when I travel, I wear a full face/modular helmet. For just “local” riding and lower speeds, I still wear my half helmet. If I’m a a rally in a State that doesn’t require a helmet, I might ride without a helmet if it’s just a 5 min ride to get from point A to B and under 30-35 mph. I ALWAYS ride with ear plugs that have a sonic filter in them. Been riding most of my life and have severe tinnitus when I don’t wear them. As for the 5 year rule, I pay little attention to the time and more attention to when the helmet “loses its fit.” Once it becomes more of just bowl sitting on top of my head, I get a new one. Appreciate all the time and effort you made putting this info into the video. One of the BEST I’ve seen on this topic.

One issue that clouds the statistics regarding helmet's life saving ability is environment. In road accidents, often riders come into contact with any manner of objects, be they cars, curbs, guard rails,etc., which makes getting consistent data difficult, if not, impossible. MotoGP riders fall all the time, often at considerable speed, but their controlled environment makes them less likely to contact hard or irregular objects. Now, if you took away the helmets and leathers they wear, I'm quite sure the serious injury level would be significantly greater. To my layman's way of thinking, that is more than enough information to make me happy about my personal commitment to wearing all the gear, all the time. I still believe that, given identical impacts with the head, the helmeted rider will always be better off. Nice job on a difficult issue!

I always learn something from your videos. You are always fair and honest with your content

Thanks for putting out a well researched video on helmets.

Another great video. Thank you.

What a great video!!! Thanks so much! About time someone put out some honesty regarding the helmet thing!!!! I prefer one, but I really never wanted one riding a bicycle. Just so nice to get an honest review and some explanation of a few things!

What I have learnt from my personal experience is that a helmet becomes unfit for use when it becomes too loose. Previously I did not use any liner when wearing them and they became loose within a two to three years, from all the sweat which I think reduces the life of a helmet. Since I have started wearing a bandana or whatever it is called, I have observed that the helmet does not lose its size a quickly.

I thought I needed a larger helmet until I was educated by Impact Racing about proper fit. I’ve seen many people wanting to buy a helmet that’s multiple sizes too large. Like small women asking for an XL

Ear plugs improving hearing. I learnt this while DJ'ing. After a few weeks I really started to fear for my hearing. So I put ear plugs in. What I didn't expect to happen was that people coming into the DJ box to make requests or to ask me something... I could hear them absolutely fine with the ear plugs in, far better than without! I think it comes down to the ear plugs dampening "most" of the volume and particularly most of the high-frequency. This allows you hearing more atuned to 1kHz and below, where voices are and babies cry, to work far better. It's like you raise the signal to noise ratio.

Good job Bret- Thanks for making another great video for us.

I loved this. I've gotten a lot of misinformation since i started riding and some of these points (like helmet drops and useful lifespan) I was still unsure about.

Thanx for a great video. My head is lighter than 11 pounds as she once told me, "You are brain dead" when I goofed something up. LOL

One thing not mentioned when considering if you need a new helmet was the material it's made from. Back in the old days (70s/80s) when they were made from Polycarbonate, they were affected by UV light and DID therefore need replacing after a few years. Helmets made from Carbon composites are much less affected by UV and can be used for much longer.

I'd love a Bret Rants episode about helmets, or a whole series you do once a month or however often something needs a well thought out tongue lashing.

Thanks for a really interesting and informative video.

Great, great video. I learned a lot. Thank you.

This video might be the best you have ever posted! Great one!

Excellent. Well timed as I am a soon to be new mature rider and in possession of a very old helmet. Thanks!

Great info thank you.

3:58 I'm going to make the brash assumption, if you cut your helmet in half, you should replace it. If you're going to continue to ride.

Very well done Bret, getting a helmet that fits properly is like buying new shoes, absolute pain as helmet shape and sizes are different between brands and style. I found that I need to replace my helmet every 4 to 5 years due to the comfort liner getting perished due to dust and sweat. Helmets now days are so much better than what we had 40 years ago.

Great job Bret

OK, enough is enough. I have to say it. Bret, THANK YOU FOR EVERY VIDEO YOU HAVE MADE! Now, back to the helmets... So many clowns talk about helmets when they do not have a clue, just repeating the gossip like they know what they are saying. And yes! I am one of those who was told to buy a new helmet because mine was too old. In my case, the argument was that with time, the "staring foam" gets rigid and loses absorption. Is this right? Again, THANK YOU. I LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU. I have 42 years of riding experience, many long trips, and many countries.

Great video, especially the dropping exercises, I've been telling riders this for years

Excellent Video, Keep them coming!!😃

Just a thought, about price vs. safety. Wouldn't equivalent safety certifications merely imply two helmets have met the same minimal standard? It's pass - fail I assume. Might some more expensive helmets actually exceed the criteria, and therefor be safer? Same applies to cheaper helmets of course. So, the DOT, Snell, or Euro system, just indicates they meet the minimal standard for certification. Owning a pricier helmet, i'd like to think it's a bit safer, lol. That goes without saying. Lets see more ECE ratings. Some cheap helmets might surprise us, and some expensive ones might as well. I'm going to stick with the big brands, on the hope that years of experience and testing might account for something. Maybe it's all in my head, which is all in my helmet (Hopefully).

Great video. I like how you broke it down like a well educated person. I didn't even know about those 2 research statistics.

Awesome job, thank you 👍

Great video! Excellent information. I can't imagine riding without a helmet. Best!

I once read a supposed quote from Evil Knievel "I never mount a motorcycle without first donning a helmet", Truth or myth? I was in a motorcycle accident in 1981. Had to have 13 stiches in my chin and my full faced Bell helmet was broken in two at the lower face portion. I'm a firm believer in wearing helmets!

Great video Bret

Great stuff from you as always, Bret. Schuberth C3 Pro modular. I'd feel foolish if I skimped on head protection. Also, thanks for reminding me that I'm due for a liner replacement.

on the topic of helmets save lives, In 2017 I was in an accident that I woke up from 3 weeks after it happened and I can without a doubt say that I would not be here if I hadn't had it on. this video was well prepared and presented. Thank you for helping keep people informed especially on a topic that is this important.

Very nicely presented.

I can’t understand why anyone would want to ride without a helmet. I was on duty as a Paramedic, I was on an emergency call when I pulled out of a side road on to a Main Street, it was dark and I had been give right of way by the traffic, I had lights and sirens on, as I got to the middle of the road I heard a loud bang and saw sparks flying down the road, I had been struck by a motorcycle doing over 60 mph on a 30, he had overtook the stationary traffic. When me and my oppo got to him he wasn’t breathing and his right leg was bent around his neck over his shoulder, one side of his helmet was hanging off. We treated him on scene and amazingly he survived his awful injuries, I was told two things saved him, his helmet after his head hit a metal lamppost and the fact that his was blind drunk. Always wear a proper fitted helmet and don’t D&D. Great video.👍

Thanks for an other great video Bret.

Excellent video. My next question is what should I be doing to reduce the likelihood that I will get into an accident. The obvious ones would be things such as no alcohol, no riding at night. What about how to position yourself when encountering a cluster of traffic? Is it safer to get ahead of the cluster, stay in the middle or drop behind? To me the answer is not obvious. Someone has probably done research on such things.