Has a helmet ever saved your life?

[Bob Hughes]

Every day since July of 1976 at 18 years old I owe to a Bell helmet. It was polyurethane and bounced like a superball. I was riding in the rain on a country road in N.H. when I got to the top of a hill and found out that I was turning left and the road was banking right at the same time   I came down with a smack on the back of my head. Unconscious for a short time (I hope) I rode home with a concussion but not a mark on me because I was lucky enough to fall on a cold wet day so I was dressed well by accident. Many years later, last year I decided to make the switch to ATGATT and I am glad that I did, my wife too.

[Sport-Touring]

[Windblown]

I voted maybe.  

I've trashed a few helmets from bouncing them off of both dirt and pavement.  However I'm told I'm very hardheaded.  

[olderigetfasteriam]

Three years ago next month I had the opportunity to let my helmet save me. Guy pulled in front of me and I swerved, locked the front brake and went over the bars. I landed on my helmet and shoulder. I have no doubt the helmet did it's job (Shoei RF900). So instead of sitting here being spoonfed applesauce or sitting in an urn on the mantle I am contemplating a ride today.

Thank you helmet.

[Dave B]

I've been down hard four times, once on the race track, and the rest on the street.

My hat saved my life on one occasion.  I was riding my wife's GS450 in downtown Boulder, and was approaching a green light.  I got into the left turn lane: I was next to a car.

The car driver decided at the last minute to turn left, and did so, hitting my right leg, and knocking the bike's tires off the ground.

I hit the pavement with my face - only the Shoei fullface saved me from massive facial trauma, if not a basal skll fracture.

We used to keep that helmet under the parts counter at the shop, and show it to folks that were unsure that a full face offered any more protection than an open face.  It was very dramatic.

db

[Bunbun]

Gonna say maybe, with a priviso that it's a "probably".  On the dirt it probably saved injuries but the wreck I had a couple years ago on the ZZR, the helmet easily saved some very serious injuries and quite possibly death.

Bun

[jeremy556]

Yes, probably numerous times, and certainly saved my head and face from serious road rash many times as well.
This was my last helmet

[kevin_stevens]

It's a bad question, because in almost no instance can someone actually know whether the helmet saved their life.  All they can say is "I was in an accident and hit my head, and I'm not dead".  Well, that's *everybody* who had one and is still able to post!

KeS

[panther289]

  I'd have to say yes to maybe. No telling for sure except that old Maxim fullface lost a lot of material that day. Got ran off the road into one of those Fla. dipping drainage curbs. From the people who saw it, they told me I looked like a cat trying to land on all fours. Going ten high and in a twenty or so foot arch, I saw blue sky and twisted to see the ground. Dislocated both wrists, right shoulder, goose egged left knee, and took a large amount of the plastic off the upper chin to eye section of the helmet. After a trip to the ER and a couple of "pill days" I took a good look at the helmet. You could actually see the padding through the rash. I was 15 turning 16 in a few weeks and my parents kept ragging that I get rid of the peanut shell helmet I had. I'm glad I did.

[forester]

Answering "Yes" or "No" is not a logical response to this question.  As it reads right now, 77.8% of those answering the polls offered irrational responses.  Somewhere, someone is laughing at how stupid you people are (I'll give you a hint, he's in Michigan.)  Have a nice day.  

[fxrbill]

Had to vote no even though I wear a Shoei RF1000.Been riding since 69 and and my time hasn't come yet.Too many variables out there that I can't control.

[Fourstring]

I'm gonna say maybe.  Never went down, but I've had a plethora of nasty stuff ping into my helmet over the years from lit cigarettes to brick chunks.  Who knows if it would have knocked me off, screwed up my concentration, whatever.  

[Cpl Punishment]

Not yet. I've always been able to keep my head up and off the road in high speed crashes-but haven't had a major spill since 1980...and I hope to keep it that way.

[RickC1957]

Interesting that people voted No or maybe I have a rack of crashed helmets, some with lots of damage, some with very little. I'm not fooling myself into thinking any of the crashes I would of walked away from, if I hadn't been wearing a helmet. I have walked away from them all...the last two, both times I went down hard....no doubt in my mind that the helmet saved my life....at the very least saved me from a trip to the ER.

[cultureslayer]

Interesting that people voted No or maybe I have a rack of crashed helmets, some with lots of damage, some with very little. I'm not fooling myself into thinking any of the crashes I would of walked away from, if I hadn't been wearing a helmet. I have walked away from them all...the last two, both times I went down hard....no doubt in my mind that the helmet saved my life....at the very least saved me from a trip to the ER.

Yup, when you land face first on the interstate and the face shield and chin bar have some wicked road rash it's a pretty sure bet you'd be 6 feet under without the helmet.  Nothing less than a full face for me, ever.  It also convinced me of the value of CE armor (jacket had it, pants didn't).

[Bueller]

I haven't had my turn yet, but I only need to look at a Shoei that a mate hangs up as a reminder.

He went out for a test ride after servicing the bike without reconnecting the steering damper.  He lost control at 200kph (120mph) and slid face down for 200 metres.  He spent 2 weeks in hospital with gravel rash.

The chin piece on the helmet it still in tact, but you can see through it.

[hawkeyejohn14]

I have a chip on my old Arai chin guard from a tire on a van running in front of as we were accellerating on I75 in Marietta. That rock probably would of caused a crash.

My brother was hit by a car on a motorcycle when he was 16, should of seen the helmet, it definately saved his life. Though he is a little slow these days...

[2Pokey]

Yes.

I t-boned a car after she did a left in front of me and panic stopped across my lane. My options were: left head on into oncoming traffic, her or right into a roadside row of trees. I chose to brake as much as possible (all the way to her fender) and try to avoid personal impact with her car. Superman ain't the only one that can fly. When the bike stopped, I cleared her hood with plenty of room to spare. I made contact about 45 MPH totaling the bike. I bounced and rolled for quite a while, breaking a couple of bones, wore a hole in my leather at the elbow, and shredding my jeans. My helmet was so trashed that my family physician asked to have it so he could put in his waiting room with a pro helmet statement.
From someone who has been there, its not probably, possibly or personal choice. HELMETS SAVE LIVES.

[cultureslayer]

I have a chip on my old Arai chin guard from a tire on a van running in front of as we were accellerating on I75 in Marietta. That rock probably would of caused a crash.

My brother was hit by a car on a motorcycle when he was 16, should of seen the helmet, it definately saved his life. Though he is a little slow these days...

Good one.  On Friday a big gooey bird crap landed front and center on my visor.  That was annoying, but not as bad as the rock that came out of a semi tire and left an impressive chip right in front of my left eye.  As bad as my depth perception is, I don't want to make it worse with one eye.  

[jay547]

maybe/probably.

it happened back in '92. i was racing motocross and i came to a jump wide open in third gear. i shifted into fourth at the base of the jump and hit a false neutral - instant endo. i landed face first from about ten feet high. i broke my left arm, my collarbone on the right side, and my bell moto four helmet. i had a black eye, a bloody nose, and a bloody lip. spectators commented that they couldn't believe that i got up. i can still feel it today.

[Spudboy]

Yup.  I found out that passing is different downhill.  It's hard to see in the photo a skidmark, big rock broken bike and broken helmet.