From a7810cfbc198f00e8d8bb2c985c4b31268be8da7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Neale Pickett Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2015 18:01:03 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] footnote on helmets --- papers/derby-helmet.mdwn | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+) diff --git a/papers/derby-helmet.mdwn b/papers/derby-helmet.mdwn index 5d4a40e..bb8fc56 100644 --- a/papers/derby-helmet.mdwn +++ b/papers/derby-helmet.mdwn @@ -56,3 +56,24 @@ You should get a multi-impact helmet certified to CPSC and ASTM F-1492-08. You should never get a hardhat. Unfortunately, most new skaters buy a package deal that includes a hardhat, starting out with the crappiest helmet they can get at a time when they're most likely to hit their head. I managed, after two years of nagging, to convince my league to recommend new skaters get a multi-impact when they start out, and, surprise, they all do. Maybe other leagues could do this too. Beyond those two certifications for multi-impact helmets, the rest is entirely up to skater preference. I'm a fan of Nutcase, because they were the first company to popularize non-pretentious bike helmets for commuters, but there are a whole lot of manfacturers, colors, and features to choose from. Rest assured that if they meet these standards, you're getting the same protection, regardless of color, style, or other features. + + +A Final Note +------------ + +Humanity is just beginning to understand how the head actually works in +crashes. I wrote this in 2014, updated it in 2015, and we still don't have +reliable data about the MIPS liners. + +You'll notice that the tests done on these helmets involve dropping it +straight down. That is hardly ever how people hit their heads, unless +maybe they're diving into an empty pool. + +I expect that our current testing standards will eventually prove to be +primitive and laughably unrepresentative of how head injuries occur. +As we get better information about how heads/brains are injured in falls, +we'll get better ways to protect them. For now, the best you can do is +the multi-impact helmets, which aren't too much more sophisticated than +the hardhats they were bred from. But they are an improvement! +Especially in Derby, you are going to be falling a lot. Get the best +brain-protection technology currently available, okay?