Advice needed.

[Damien ball]

Hi there is a fountain of knowledge in this group of ours so this should be an easy one. I have heard that a helmet should be replaced after about 5 years the full face i have had for about 7 years and with a 6 and 7 year old in the house it has been dropped  quite a few times i do have an open face that is still like new. Is it time to get rid of the full face? I dont see any cracks in it but that doesn't mean they are not there.

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[ST2UP]

I think you may have answered your own question 

With a helmet it's the damage you cannot see thats more the problem.....the inner shell, foam and webbing is as just as much an issue as the outer shell. The inner components break down with not that much age....the process accelerated by the users sweat etc.


 

[Damien ball]

Yeah i really wanted to make sure the advice i got was the right avice before i got rid of it. : thumbs

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[Gadget]

You've only got one head, look after it.

As Chris said, the foam breaks down with sweat which contains oils. The micro fractures you can't see after many shops could cause the helmet to break apart when is really needed. In an off at some speed you may not hit the road once and you need it to be as strong as possible. And I'm sure you want your head in one piece for the two kidlets.



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[Sicman]

That concerns me you may be thinking of using the open face helmet - I would buy a new full face when you can afford it

Of all the motorcycle rider deaths I have attended thru my work they were wearing open face helmets 

[medicbiker]

Hi Damien, you don't say what make of helmet you refer to however I have worn Arai for the last 15 or so years and they recommend replacement after 5 years. I suspect most other manufacturers would have a similar policy. I would urge you think seriously about wearing an open faced helmet as the protection offered by these is considerably less than compared to a full face helmet. As a registered paramedic I have attended scores of significant maxilla facial injuries which simply would not have occurred if a full face helmet had been worn. Clearly the choice to wear whatever you feel comfortable is up to you and one that I respect, but for a moment try to imagine the likely outcome of your face coming into contact with the road even at low speed. Whatever enjoy your ride.

[Damien ball]

Thanks all i dont like the open face but its probably safer at the moment.  Iv been looking at modular helmets at around the $200 - $250 mark.

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[Gadget]

That concerns me you may be thinking of using the open face helmet - I would buy a new full face when you can afford it

Of all the motorcycle rider deaths I have attended thru my work they were wearing open face helmets 

Dezohn's 40 km/h accident had a huge gouge through the chin bar and up through the visor. She would have a at least broken her jaw and nose and probably gouged her cheek.

I'd never wear an open face after seeing that.

[West Aussie Glen]

Damien I am sure there are lot of helmets still in use that have fallen off the seat of a their owners bike several times. If a helmet suffers significant damage by being dropped a metre it would not be much use when coming off a bike at some speed.
 I have recently discarded some very old helmets that were sitting in a cupboard for at least 20 years. The major deterioration in them was the soft foam.
I think the life of a helmet would depend on several factors:-
1. Quality of the helmet to start with
2. Significant impact
3. Exposure to ultraviolet light (is it left on the bike in the sun all day while at work?), worn in Alice Springs or England?
4. How much it is used, once a week for a few hours, daily for for an hour each way to work?
5. Does the user sweat a lot, is the lining kept clean
6. Has there been a significant improvement in design

There is always the question of how much do you think you head is worth but like all things in life we make decisions about where we draw the line. Most of us have made the decision that we are going to ride a bike, we don't all drive Volvos.

The outside of crash helmets is made from very tough fibreglass like material, we don't see yachts /sailing boats made of fibreglass (which are subject to major stressing whenever in use)  being thrown out every 5 years.

On construction/work sites hard hats are supposed to be replaced every 2 years (if you look inside you will find the date of manufacture) due to them ageing in the sun but I am sure very few are replaced.

This article makes interesting reading and helps to answer your question

http://www.roadsafety.mccofnsw.org.au/a/74.html

This also makes interesting reading but I think is more about bikecycle helmets than motorbike helmets.

http://www.helmets.org/general.htm

 

[Sicman]

  I worked for Telecom / Telstra for a lot of years. In my early days I was a ditch witch operator. One day I was working behind a machine cleaning trenches when a half brick flow out from the auger and hit my colleague in the front of his hard hat. He was knock unconscious from the blow. The brick lodged in the plastic and the only got a small mark on the forehead. But for his hard hat the blow would have killed him. 
He didnt always wear a hard hat but had a feeling that day that he needed to. It saved his life but shook him up.
His helmet was within date and the plastic did the job - An older faded hard hat may have failed. Yeh replacing helmets costs a few dollars but when you need it to save your life you want it in the best condition possible 

[Brock]

Fortunately safety helmets are pretty cheap, and there usually a work gear shop not far away so they can be replaced or bought in bulk easily.

I wish a bike helmet could be bought for under $50.00.

A majority of Bike helmets these days have an outer that is made of a tough plastic that is usually stronger than fibre glass, and much lighter.

[Damien ball]

All good advice thanks. If work is generous i should get a bonus  (wont hold my breath) so a new helmet  is not far off. In the mean time the full face it is thanks againe for the advice. :thanks

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[Gadget]

Good to hear.

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[gaz]

 

[Alheng]

While on the topic of helmet age, when do you start counting? Date of manufacture or date of purchase?

[Shiney]

While on the topic of helmet age, when do you start counting? Date of manufacture or date of purchase?

I believe it's the date of manufacture.
So when buying a helmet we now need to treat it like fruit and ask when they are getting in some fresh ones