Why should you wear a full-face helmet?

Ask 1.1-million-mile BMW rider Dave Swisher, of Bowling Green, Virginia. Below is his helmet after he suffered a crash in West Virginia. Dave came out of it just fine—thanks to his full-face helmet. No facial reconstruction was needed. In fact, because Dave was wearing full gear, he was able to ride home!

What would have happened had he been wearing a three-quarter helmet or, worse yet, a “shorty?”

Note that 35% of all crashes showed major impact on the chin-bar area. This means that if you ride with an open-face helmet, you are accepting only 65% of the protection that could be available to your head.

If you ride with a shorty or half helmet, you are accepting only 39% of the protection you could obtain. You are literally throwing away 61% of the protection you would have had had you chosen a full-face helmet.

And, of course, if you ride wearing a “novelty” helmet or no helmet at all then you have none of the protection you could have chosen.

The choice is yours.

Originally posted by miguel
Why should you wear a full-face helmet?

Ask 1.1-million-mile BMW rider Dave Swisher, of Bowling Green, Virginia. Below is his helmet after he suffered a crash in West Virginia...

After my 2 spills in one day at Infanta last year I was glad i was using a full faced helmet. It really covers all!

or you are one of the few to refuse to wear full face cause you want to smoke cigs while waiting for the light to turn green. :crazy: i still see a lot of harley riders that do smoke cigs while riding.

Another reason is, if there's a wire dangling from up above...... at a high speed, you won't see that wire, if you hit that wire 50Kph and up, it'll rip part of the face's skin ......... waerin a FULL-FACE Helmet saves the lower part of the face 99.5 percent. :)

i guess that's to each of his own. now, during long rides, if you're riding a sport bike with a novelty helmet, that means "R.I.P", if you're riding a cruiser with a topspeed of nothing compared to those sportbikes, i guess those people you mentioned will live long enough than the smoking habit before the green light. in city riding and if you're in a sport bike and wearing a novelty helmet, that's another "R.I.P.", if your 'speeding up in the city'. i guess half faced in the city can meet any people standards. if you wear a full-faced helmet and you crash hard enough to spill your brains in your helmet, it also serves its purpose, to hold all that was spilled...

i ride around the city anywhere. i often wear dainese d-jet half-faced helmet. somtimes, if not far, a "buko-hemet". during long rides, of course, a full-faced helmet. now, as i was saying, to each of his own... as long as you have something to cover your melons.

no offense.. if by chance..
i have nothing against it, i recomment to wear a full-faced helmet.


GODSPEED!!;)

A follow up to the_nong's reply, on city ride, I do wear a mountain bike helmet for coolness, Baguio's even hot in the afternoon, I do sweat on a fullface helmet when its traffic. I only wear my fullface helmet on out of town rides and on some occasions but i never forget wearing a helmet when riding. :) Guilty em I? :D He hehe.

In 1993 I took a spill at 60mph and the first thing that hit the pavement was my face. I thank God that it was cold that day and I was wearing a full face Shoei, leather jacket, gloves and boots, 'wish I was wearing leather pants with knee pads. I had bruises and scraped knees. Back then helmet was optional when I ride but not anymore. I fit wasn't for the full face helmet, I wouldn't be "pogi" anymore. Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

that's true. that is why when my friends and i go some distance we never forget to wear a full-faced helmet, together with gloves, knee pads and body armour. yep, all of those even on a european scooter. most of our friends meet accidents and learn form thier misktakes, never let it be ours. thank God for that! and thank God he saved thier lives..


GODSPEED!!!:*

IMHO lang. Oks ang open-face helmet sa city driving. Yung mga 30kph lang ang takbo.

Naka open-face ako pero sometimes napapapunta ako sa hi-way. Takbo ko is 60kph. Naku I wonder kung natumba ako...

I think kung 30kph yari din ang mukha kung nauna ito.

pero I love my open-face kasi mas malamig ito sa init.:)

Me too. I RECOMMEND full-face. Talagang mas safer.
bili rin ako sa susunod.:)

Mahal naman ng mga complete protection sa katawan. Pero mas-mahal ang walang protection kung na accident.:) Walang katumbas ang buhay.

Whats up guys i'm a new member here
well as my story goes
a japanese friend of mine ( "May" she rides a
suzuki GSXR-600 KR Limited Edition)
yes shes a girl & she rides better than
most men i've met, 1 night
she got into a big accident w/ a car, she was
going 135mph when she hit the car from
the back, apparently the car cut her off.
she survive the accident with multiple
fractured bones, bruses, punctured lungs
& a cracked skull, they said the helmet (Arai RX-7)
saved her head from being squashed like a melon,
she is the luckiest person we know, surviving an
accident in that magnitude
The question is, how much is youre life worth?
is it worth a full face, half, or no helmet
wearing proper riding gear is the way to go!
thanx for your time & everyone pls. ride safe

Where do you travil the most? Where do you feel the most comfortable riding your bike? Always remember that most accidents happen with-in a few K's or miles from home. So always be on the alert for the unexpected and wear your protective gear. It is not just for yourself, think of your family. It could be your life, or a burden on your family with a permanent disability.

Thanks Rocky. I read a news here in MCP also. There was a guy riding a bigbike. He was hit by a truck near his house. Very sad news.

Originally posted by Rocky D Heuer
Where do you travil the most? Where do you feel the most comfortable riding your bike? Always remember that most accidents happen with-in a few K's or miles from home. So always be on the alert for the unexpected and wear your protective gear. It is not just for yourself, think of your family. It could be your life, or a burden on your family with a permanent disability.
Exactly! That was happened to me last May 21, 2003 I met an accident a few kilometers from my place. Not wearing gloves and I'm just wearing a wool pants but with open face helmet.... I got scraped knees and palms......it was a very painful experience and until now my right knee is a bit numb due to the spill

I don't feel comfortable wearing a full face helmet. Can't see the ground and my back wheel. Can't hear much, can't smoke, drink and eat also.

Lost 3 of my front teeth when I slammed on a boulder years ago. Thanks to the dentist who made my fake teeth. Since then I always use a helmet when I use my bike because the visor protected my face during the crash but still I got my jaw out of it's center. It took a while until I can ride my bike properly again.

I never use protectors or paddings, just very thin gloves and an open face helmet. I wish that somebody will invent new protectors for us. Good riders might not need them but I surely will be happy if I can use one.

I tried using a full face helmet but can't see where I'm going. Full face helmets are good but it depend where the user is using it. It's still the safest on falls but it is very dangerous for us to use.

Ronnel, most people who knows me will say that I'm a very safety conscious rider. That being said, is the reason why I have to respond to your statement below. How can you say that wearing a full face helmet is dangerous when you yourself experienced physical injury that a full face helmet could have prevented? Would all the road racers in the world be wearing full face helmets if it was more dangerous than an open face one?

You don't want to wear a full helmet because you can't smoke, eat, drink, see the ground or your back wheel. I recommend that you wait till the ride is over before you do all of the above. It would be safer that way.

I understand that everyone has an opinion, including this one I'm putting out. But be responsible when dishing out advice. There are a lot of new riders out there who does not have the same experience as yours who will easily get misled by personal choices such as yours that are not supported by facts.

By the way, our peripheral vision is not as wide as the eye opening of a full face helmet so don't buy that argument that full face helmets keeps you from seeing fully.

Originally posted by Ronnel de Ramos
...I wish that somebody will invent new protectors for us. Good riders might not need them but I surely will be happy if I can use one....

I beg to disagree. Good riders would want to have protection at all times. Now, I'm still a far cry from what you'll call a "good" rider, but I plan to wear protection as much as I can afford it and as long as I can balance on two wheels.

I should note that even professionals wear protection.

Originally posted by Rene Ybardolaza
Ronnel, most people who knows me will say that I'm a very safety conscious rider. That being said, is the reason why I have to respond to your statement below. How can you say that wearing a full face helmet is dangerous when you yourself experienced physical injury that a full face helmet could have prevented? Would all the road racers in the world be wearing full face helmets if it was more dangerous than an open face one?


Rene, Ronnel does trials. from what I know, trial riders don't take their bikes out for a spin around the city. THey instead bring their bikes aboard their trucks and just use them for obstacles. They need to make mini jumps (just like stunt BMX riders) to cross one obstacle and another.

Hey, what am I saying. ... I don't like using full-faced helmets either. And if I have the choice, I won't even wear the open-faced helmet I use now.

kazmut,

you always have a choice. every time you take a seat behind the handle bar, you make a design whether to wear a helmet or not. you just have to be willing to take the consequences of your decision. yun nga lang.

safe riding you all. :D

Originally posted by wrong wolf
kazmut,

you always have a choice. every time you take a seat behind the handle bar, you make a design whether to wear a helmet or not. you just have to be willing to take the consequences of your decision. yun nga lang.

safe riding you all. :D

na-ah :D hope that's true. But if I don't wear a bucket, police and MMDA officers will come after me. I am willing to accept the responsibilities of more personal damage if I crash. But breaking the law is not the answer. I'd rather wear my lid and dream, of the time when our government would acknowledge, that I am legally old enough, to decide for myself what is wrong or right.
That is the essence of freedom and democracy.

well, look at it this way, whether good riders need a helmet or not can be debated over and over until we are old and gray... we may all be good riders and left alone on the road may never had any accidents but we are not the only ones on the road, there are other drivers out there who are not as care-conscious or safety-freaks like we are.

you may not need a helmet if you were the only person on the road, but you do need it to protect yourself from the elements of the road and from reckless drivers, and we know there are a lot of them out there, plus, our machines are not exactly impervious to breakdowns...

may God keep us away from any such accidents but experience tells us God allows them to happen... as the good book says, the rain falls on the just and the unjust... :)

let's wear our helmets my friends, not because the law requires it but because common sense tells us accidents are no respecter of persons...

Originally posted by joe black
let's wear our helmets my friends, not because the law requires it but because common sense tells us accidents are no respecter of persons...

but... but ... but .. but ... :D

The issue, in my opinion, is not whether or not you should wear a helmet but rather should the government have the right to take that decision away from the individual. Recent history has shown that our officials will take away our freedom for the sake of protecting us (PNCC? sub-400? u guys know what I'm talking about). Mandatory speed limits save lives. Seat belt laws save lives. Helmet laws save lives. But at what cost? If the 80kph speed limit works, why not lower it to 30kph to save even more lives?

If the seat belt law works, why not require everyone to wear car helmets and nomex suits when they drive to save more lives? If helmet laws work, why not require all riders to wear P20,000 leathers when they ride? Better yet, why not just outlaw motorcycles altogether? Then no one would die on a bike.

Do you see where I'm going with this? If you give them an inch, they WILL take a mile. You can bank money on it. I appreciate the job that law enforcement does to protect me from criminals but I draw the line when they try to protect me from myself. I reserve that right. My Rights are what I am fighting for. :D come to think of it, helmets on cages would make it safer for the occupants, why not make it mandatory as well? :D

cheers joe`black

P.S. I respect your rights to wear one too.

there you go, kazmut! you chose to obey the law! :D it was in your power to decide whether to wear a skid lid or not. the personal risk of injury you were willing to take but the legal consquences. in the end its always your choice.

like you i dream of the day of going out for a ride without wearing a helmet. like you, the hazard of being apprehended by the police is too much for me. but unlike, i am not willing to face the risk of grave injury when an accident happens. baka masayang pagka-gwapo ko. :D

Originally posted by KaZmuT
Recent history has shown that our officials will take away our freedom for the sake of protecting us (PNCC? sub-400? u guys know what I'm talking about). Mandatory speed limits save lives. Seat belt laws save lives. Helmet laws save lives. But at what cost? If the 80kph speed limit works, why not lower it to 30kph to save even more lives?

If the seat belt law works, why not require everyone to wear car helmets and nomex suits when they drive to save more lives? If helmet laws work, why not require all riders to wear P20,000 leathers when they ride? Better yet, why not just outlaw motorcycles altogether? Then no one would die on a bike.

Kazmut, you are blowing it all out of proportions. Your examples and justifications are absurd to begin with.
Mr. Kazmut, I would like to remind you that you live in a society. There are rules in a society that normal individuals like you and me must follow for our own good whether we like it or not.

If you think your "right" is worth fighting for then I suggest you write your congressman or senator and tell them your plight. who knows they might hear you out. With the amount of crap legislations that our government are coming up with whats one more right? Here is a better idea..why not submit your plight tomorrow at the MAP meeting? If you think your plight is valid and logical then go for it. You are a member of MAP am I right? Voice it out kazmut! Tell them what you think and what you believe. I just dont know what their reactions will be after hearing you out. :O

Do you see where I'm going with this?

No I dont.

Hi Rene. I'm sorry sorry that I forgot to say that I'm a trials rider and I don't use my bike on the roads. I would also like to ask for forgiveness especially to the new riders out there for my incomplete post.

My true wish is that there will be a suitable full face helmet for us 'trialists'. Because I'm not good at it (but I love the sport), I really would want to get some extra protection. Not just a helmet but paddings as well.

I have tried using motocross paddings but it restricts my movement. As I have said, I have tried using a full face helmet but I can't see where I'm going. About eating, drinking, and smoking I know that it is not proper do do it while riding but during the years that I've spend with my fellow riders they'll pass you food and drinks while in a bike and I think that it is proper not to reject a friend's offer. We even talk about our everyday lives during the ride. There are times that a member will be so close to me (less than a meter) when I'm about to do a very steep climb and he'll be talking about the young sales lady he saw at a nearby convenient store. There are times that the conversation is soo good that it just never stops.

About smoking while riding, I know that it is really bad for the lungs but during summer smoking gets rid of the insects. We ride in secluded areas like river banks, mountains and even dump areas and unlike other bikes we are most of the times moving very slow and to be at a full stop is very common. I sweat a lot even in winter because of the rigorous movements that we do and if I apply insect repellant you just can imagine the smell of sweat combined to the repellant. That is also one of the reasons why many of us don't prefer using helmets especially if we are doing nothing fancy because of the sweat. Sometimes it is easier to study a new technique w/out the protection to make movement easier. There are also times that we have to look at the rear tire to see if adjustments are needed to be made. Everytime I looked at the rear tire with a full face helmet, my shoulders prevents me doing it because or the chin guard and I remember once that I fell from a rock by doing this because I lost my balance.

As I have said that I'm dreaming of wearing a full face helmet because I'm not a competent rider but I think that I have to live with the fact that I have to use my old helmet all through out.

I don't use my bike in the streets and even in the mountain I always keep my manners as a bike user. I always ride slow, maybe too slow for most of you.

Thank you very much Rene for telling me my incompetence. I really owe you one. And bike users, please, always use your 'FULL FACE HELMET' and YOUR PROTECTORS while riding. DON'T EAT, DRINK, and SMOKING IS BAD FOR THE LUNGS.

I'M REALLY VERY SORRY. PATAWAD PO.

The issue, in my opinion, is not whether or not you should wear a helmet but rather should the government have the right to take that decision away from the individual.

but don't you think your other arguments or examples are a bit unreasonable like lowering the speed limit to 30kph, wearing helmets on cars or outlaw motorcycles? at least the government was 'reasonable' enough not to impose them....

the government didn't regulate what kind of helmet you should wear, it's up to you to decide that. (in case you missed it, the discussion was about "why you should wear a full-faced helmet", it's US discussing the pro's and cons of a full-faced helmet... not the government requiring you to wear a full-faced one.. :) )

when you come to think of it, the helmet law is not at all that bad, a little discomfort perhaps on our part because we have to wear it but by wearing one, we continue to enjoy all our other "freedoms" because it keeps us alive in case we get involved in an accident, most of the time that is...

would you rather not wear a helmet, risk your life and lose all your freedoms or choose to give away some freedom in order to continue enjoying what we riders really love to do--ride our bikes with all our other freedoms?

by the way, for those who travel to provinces a lot, my vote goes for a full-faced helmet, with a balaclava underneath... half-faced ones offer less protection against dust and flying stones... and full-faced ones offer more aero-dynamics than the half-faced...

Ronnel, my apologies to you if I spoke out of context. It is just hard for me to imagine anyone eating or drinking while doing trials type of riding in the dirt, so I assumed you were riding the streets. Needless to say, my response is meant to communicate my concern and it is not meant to put you down as a person.

Whenever one of us takes a fall, a flood of belated statements comes from those who cared or knew about that person. I'm not very effective at telling a dead friend how I feel about him. I would prefer to tell my friend, while he or she is alive, what I think he is doing right or wrong. Sure, I'll probably piss him off in the process, but I care about his safety. If by any chance the message gets through him and it keeps him alive, I'm a happy camper. We have more roads to conquer.

peace y'all.

joe: got me there. you're quite right. I have reacted without fully understanding the thread. Again my apologies.

trance: all my posts are my opinion. If you don't agree with me, that's your right too.

again peace :D

Hi Rene. Thanks.

***It is normal to see riders using a scooter and sometimes even in a large bike with their half helmets hanging on the back of their necks here in Japan especially with the young riders. It is normal to see riders fixing their hair style during every red light (with their helmets hanging). When they see a cop they just slid it back to their heads and when all is clear, they'll do the same thing again. It is illegal not to wear a helmet properly on public roads but 'stylish' riders constantly violates the road rules. I beleive that letting a helmet hang behind the neck is the dumbest thing invented may it be stylish or not. During the fall, maybe they'll break their shells and break their necks as well. I have seen a full size full face helmet with extended chin strap hanging on the neck also. I think that the guy was having difficulties breathing because of the weight of the helmet. ***

Do we have the same "FASHIONABLE" riders elsewhere? How about in the Philippines?

Ronnel, Here in the Philippines they use the helmet as elbow guard:D

Hi REEKEE 98. Kailangan dalawang helmet para balance.


***** Mayroon akong dalawang USED (second hand) Go Cart racing suits na galing sa kaibigan kong Hapon. Size S at M, blue. Dahil used ay syempre hindi perfect pero OK pa naman at pwede pang magamit. Dry cleaned at walang 'anghit'. Kung sino man ang may gusto ay pwede akong makipag BARTER. Naghahanap ako ng Motorcycle Philippines T-shirt (dark color maski 2nd hand OK). Padala ko yung suit via post by sea hindi by air dahil mahal(basta't padala rin yung T-shirt sa akin). Isang T-shirt (2 mas masaya) kapalit ng isang Go Kart racing suit.

Isang racing suit per deal kaya't paki sabi kung S or M ang gusto ninyo. Sabi sa akin nung kaibigan ko ay 60,000 YEN daw ang ginastos niya per suit nuong binili niya ito. Ibinarter ko sa kanya yung luma kong 50cc Honda Dio scooter kapalit nitong dalawang suit. ***** Paki lang sana dahil talagang gusto kong magkaroon ng MCP T-shirt.

Paki PM lang para sa pics. at add. Salamat po.

You get your money's worth if you've invested in a full face helmet. Actually, you get much more.

Here's a few links containing valuable info to convince everyone particularly Marikina to dump their anti-full-face helmet law.

The following link has a powerpoint slide that shows why you should wear one:
http://www.google.ch/url?sa=U&start=3&q=http://www.usaac.army.mil/accw/div/safety/POV/Motorcycle%2520Helmet%2520Info.ppt&e=8092

Check out the following links for more details:
http://jeff.dean.home.att.net/swisher.htm
http://www.soundrider.com/archive/safety-skills/crash_padding-pt2.htm
http://www.flamesonmytank.co.za/helmets.htm

The pic below shows the impact distribution on a full face helmet.

I will answer according to your thread title.

I wear a full face helmet to reduce my bad looking and ugly face. :D

Mas-maganda ang proteksyon sa ulo,mukha at mata...

also the wind factor.. running at speeds above 140 kph is hard on your face even if your halfface helmet has a shield...

and also the noise...

guys, u wud not be asking this question if you have ever witnessed a motorcycle accident..

the guy i helped last monday.. if he was not wearing a helmet, probably basag yung ulo nya.. his head banged up with the pavement more than 3 times.. each very hard.. helmet is for protection and safety... thats it basically.. :R

nano,

We understand that completely. The question was not "why wear a helmet" but why wear a full face helmet.

Good that the guy you helped was wearing a helmet. Indeed, the accident could have been fatal if he wasn't wearing one.

Absolutely !!!!

Take it from me guys...I had a bike accident (low speed nga lang ito)16 years ago. I was wearing a standard half cruiser helmet. I will not go into the details of the accident, but yes...I lost 7 front tooth... Its no joke.

So, buddies...Wear a full face one. If helmets are there to protect...include your face pls. Its not worth the risk.

Sakit mabasagan ng mga ipin at mahirap na pustiso ipin.

Half protection is no protection at all!!!

Sabi nga kung mag-condom ka...mag pills na rin siya...sigurado !!!

:cheers:

oo nga mga brod always fullface, kasi baka chin naman natin ang mabasag, my index helmet was badly damage (thank index!!!) when i got an accident here http://motorcyclephilippines.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23940

oo nga pala. totoo bang nirereplace ang helmet pag nangaling sa accident or mabagsik na blow?

Yep, without a doubt, full-face helmets are a must! :) I have a full-face helmet but I've been using my open face helmet for my city commute to the office due to the heat. I really do feel more secure riding with my full-face helmet and this thread reminds me about the safety of full-face helmets so when I ride with my open face helmet, I ride very, very carefully. :o

If your wearing a full-face helmet, then what are you snacking on when on a long ride??? :l :vomit:

I agree with all the logical remarks about the benefits of a full face. However, the one thing I dislike is the restricted peripheral vision, and that has always put me off.