A motorcycle helmet is a type of protective headgear used by motorcycle riders.

The
primary goal of a motorcycle helmet is motorcycle safety - to protect the rider's head
during impact, thus preventing or reducing head injury or saving the rider's life. Some
helmets provide additional conveniences, such as ventilation, face shields, ear
protection etc.
Results Crash related injuries occurred mainly in urban zones with 50 km/h speed limit (66%), during the
day (63%), and in fine weather (72%). After adjustment for potential confounders, drivers wearing any
reflective or fluorescent clothing had a 37% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.63, 95% confidence interval
0.42 to 0.94) than other drivers. Compared with wearing a black helmet, use of a white helmet was
associated with a 24% lower risk (multivariate odds ratio 0.76, 0.57 to 0.99). Self reported light coloured
helmet versus dark coloured helmet was associated with a 19% lower risk. Three quarters of
motorcycle riders had their headlight turned on during the day, and this was associated with a 27% lower risk
(multivariate odds ratio 0.73, 0.53 to 1.00). No association occurred between risk and the frontal colour of
drivers' clothing or motorcycle. If these odds ratios are unconfounded, the population attributable risks are
33% for wearing no reflective or fluorescent clothing, 18%for a non-white helmet, 11% for a dark coloured
helmet, and 7% for no daytime headlight operation.

Conclusions Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of
reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap
interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death.

Results
The cases were 490 motorcycle drivers (including 32 deaths), and interviews were completed for 463 (95%).
Thirteen drivers refused to participate, and 14 could not be contacted. Of the interviews with case drivers, we
conducted 293 (63%) by telephone, 164 (35%) face to face, and 6 (1%) by self completed questionnaire.

The controls were 1518 motorcycle drivers: 931 (61%) were identified at sites where motorcyclists were
stopped and 587 (39%) from photograph only sites. Interviews were completed with 1233 (81%) drivers, of
which 1189 (96%) were conducted by telephone. Most of the drivers not interviewed could not be contacted;
only 42 (3%) drivers refused to participate.

Table 1 shows the sociodemographic characteristics of the study participants and the distribution of potential
confounding variables. Men accounted for 94% of the motorcycle riding population in Auckland during the
study period; most crashes occurred in urban 50 km/h speed limit zones (66%), during the day (64%), and
in fine weather (72%).

Most motorcycle helmet standards use impacts at speeds between 4–7 m/s (9–16 mph). At first
glance, this is confusing given that motorcyclists frequently ride at speeds higher than 20 m/s
(45 mph). This confusion is relieved by understanding that the perpendicular impact speed of the
helmet is usually not the same as the road speed of the motor cycle and that the severity of the
impact is determined not only by the speed of the head but also by the nature of the surface it
hits. For example, the surface of the road is almost parallel to the direction the motorcyclist
moves in so only a small component of his velocity is directed perpendicular to the road while he
is riding. Of course, other surfaces are perpendicular to the motorcyclist's velocity, such as trees,
walls and the sides of other vehicles. The other vital factor in determining the severity of an
impact is the nature of the surface struck. The sheet metal wall of a car door may bend inwards to
a depth of 7.5–10 cm (3.0–3.9 in)ch) during a helmeted head impact, meaning that it generates
more stopping distance for the rider's head than the helmet itself. So a perpendicular impact
against a flat steel anvil at 5 m/s (11 mph) might be about as severe as a 30 m/s (67 mph)
oblique impact against a concrete surface or a 30 m/s perpendicular impact against a sheet metal
car door or windscreen. Overall, there is a very wide range of severity in the impacts that could
conceivably happen in a motorcycle impact. Some of these are more severe than the impacts
used in the standard tests and some are less so.

The function

The Pango folds up in three steps. You push down one side panel, then the other, and both
interlock with the central panel. Then you fold the rear panel inwards. I struggled with this at
first, and worried about breaking the plastic hinges, but once you get the hang of it, it is a
pretty simple manoeuvre. I liked the replaceable panels in the top shell that can be changed
depending on the weather (a solid panel for rainy days, for example), which were very easy
to switch. I would quibble with Dahon's boast that the Pango fits in "just about any bag",
however. It is definitely not handbag-sized, and while it does fold into a less awkward shape
than a conventional helmet, it is still the length and height of a brick (25cmx10cm)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzNIlK9BrUE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7jPKJ8P4KY&feature=related
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