Eric Thompson: Keep your head in an accident

Opinion

Doctors at the local AEK Hospital in Budapest have said it's too early to say if we'll be seeing Formula One driver Felipe Massa back in a car racing any time soon.

During qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Massa's helmet was struck by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's car.

The rogue piece of metal smashed into his helmet just above his left eye, wrecking the helmet and fracturing his skull. The subsequent damage to his eye, let alone the skull fracture, may have ended his racing career.

Local media quoted the hospital's professor Robert Veres as saying: "He has suffered some damage to the eye. We don't know whether he'll be able to race again." So, I think it's safe to say that without the helmet, Massa would probably be dead.

Motor racing bodies governing both two-wheel and four-wheel classes have standards just as stringent for approved helmets as they do for the cars and they are tested just as thoroughly.

To meet the FIA's 8860-2004 requirements, a helmet must withstand an impact of 34.2km/h (with deceleration of no more than 300g while dissipating 225 joules of energy), remain intact while being subjected to a 800C flame for 45 seconds, and the inside temperature must not exceed 70C, and the visor must be able to repel objects fired at it at 500km/h leaving a mark no deeper than 2.5mm.

The impact tests are carried out using a drop tower where the helmet is dropped onto various surfaces and objects (flat, round, sharp or obtuse) with a dummy head inside fitted with various sensors.

While this may seem a bit of over-kill to a number of readers, feel free to write and ask Massa what he thinks of the price he paid for his helmet and if it was worth it. And anyway, how much do you value your head?

This leads me to another observation. While not being compulsory to wear in a car, a helmet must be worn when riding a motorcycle.

Now it's not my concern if a motorcyclist is foolish enough to ride without a helmet, or with one of those stupid army helmet replicas, but it is my concern when I have to pay for his continued medical care after his, or her, head meets an immovable object.

Some people are under the impression because the brain is encased in its own helmet (the cranium) the need for extra protection is irrelevant, but as it's a pretty complicated piece of equipment, it's not a good idea to damage it.

Here is a list of suggestions for looking after the only thing between you and brain damage.

The helmet should fit snugly, i.e. grip the head - not too tight and not too loose (a loose helmet is almost as bad as wearing no helmet).

With the helmet on, you should be able to see the edge of the rim when looking up. If wearing glasses, make sure they fit easily inside the opening and aren't skewed by the sides of the helmet.

Be securely fastened to avoid it flying off in the event of an accident or something hitting it.

Be brightly coloured. Some studies point to white being the most visible but any primary bright colour will do. Reflective strips help at night.

Always place the helmet on any surface with the neck part of the helmet facing down. Never place a helmet with the crown resting on anything. Dropping a helmet, even from a small height, will do untold damage to the internal structure of it, not seen by the naked eye. Helmets are designed to absorb impact and crack over their entire construction, thus spreading the impact. For this reason, never buy a second-hand helmet, as you'll have no idea what it's been through.

If in doubt, replace the helmet. You can't replace your head.

Should only be cleaned with soap and water. Solvents, petrol, meths and industrial cleaners can weaken the shell or lining.

If it doesn't come with stickers on it, don't add any as the glue could also weaken its structure. If you want to get it painted, go to a professional helmet painter, as they know what paints you can and cannot use.

Choosing between a full-face and an open-face helmet is a personal choice. However, think about whether you want the bottom half of your face.

The New Zealand Transport Agency states there are legal requirements that motorcycle helmets must comply with. All motorcycle helmets sold in New Zealand for road use are required to comply with one or more approved international standards. These are:

- UN/ECE Regulation No22: Protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motorcycles and mopeds (Europe).

- Australian Standard AS 1698.

- New Zealand Standard NZ 5430.

- Snell Memorial Foundation: Helmet Standard for use in motorcycling.

- Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No218.

- British Standard BS 6658 (for type A helmets only).

- Japan Industrial Standard T8133.

Because of the lack of a formal certification system for the US FMVSS 218 standard, this standard only applies to motorcycle helmets that have been manufactured and purchased in the US.

- Additional information from the FIA