Tag Archives: motorcycle helmet testing

Motorcycle helmet testing Dr. John Lloyd has served attorneys nationwide for 25+ years in biomechanics, human factors, helmet testing and motorcycle accident expert

What Every Rider Needs to Know About Motorcycle Helmets

I am a motorcycle enthusiast with 40+ years of experience in the saddle and a biomechanics researcher focusing on head and brain injury. Over the years I performed more than 2600 helmet impact tests, including 328 motorcycle helmets. The following are my take-away points for motorcyclists:

Lloyd-Biomechanics Motorcycle Helmets-Figure 2

Helmets are the best protection we have against head and brain injuries. That said, standard certified motorcycle helmets are only 37-42% effective in preventing fatal head injuries.
Helmets are designed after ancient military helmets to serve as a second skull and thereby protect the head against penetrating injury.
Helmets, in general, are not intended to protect against brain injury.
There are two types of head and brain injuries, which are caused differently:
- Translational (linear) forces cause focal injuries including cuts, bruises, and skull fractures.
- Tangential forces cause rotational injuries including concussion, brain nerve damage, and brain bleeding.
- Translational and tangential forces are generated in every impact
Certified motorcycle helmets do a great job of protecting against focal head injuries.
My research shows that DOT-certified motorcycle helmets reduce the risk and severity of focal injuries by 93 percent.
Novelty (non-certified) helmets do not offer any protection against focal injuries.
It is therefore highly recommended that riders wear a certified motorcycle helmet at all times.
Helmets that offer greater coverage, i.e. open-face (3/4) and full-face helmets, provide the best protection against focal injuries. However, the US DOT standard (FMVSS 218) ^[i] does not require impact testing of the chin bar, therefore there is no certified protection against facial injuries for full-face helmets that are only certified to the DOT standard.
Generally, certified motorcycle helmets do not protect against rotational brain injuries. In fact, on average, a standard certified motorcycle helmet will actually increase the rider’s risk of concussion, nerve damage (axonal injury), and brain bleeding (subdural hemorrhage) by 19 percent, compared to an unhelmeted head impact.
Rotational brain injuries are the cause of fatalities in two-thirds of all helmeted motorcycle deaths.
It has been shown that, in general, larger and heavier helmets increase the risk of rotational brain injuries, including concussion, axonal injury, and brain bleeding because they generate greater impact-related rotational forces on the brain.
So, what can a safety-minded rider do to minimize their risk?
Revised motorcycle helmet standards are starting to look at brain injury risk. The new ECE 22.06 ^[ii] and Snell M2025 ^[iii] standards now measure the risk of rotational brain injury, though the passing threshold is 23% risk of neurologically devastating or potentially fatal rotation brain injury, at a moderate impact speed of 17.5 mph.
My recommendation is to choose a helmet that meets either the ECE 22.06 or Snell M2025 standard, in addition to whatever standard is mandated in your country.
Choose a lighter, smaller helmet with the desired coverage over a larger, heavier helmet. Not only will this likely provide better protection against rotational brain injuries, but will also generate less wind resistance and be more comfortable on those longer rides.
Consider helmets that incorporate new technologies that are intended to reduce the risk of rotational brain injuries. Such technologies include the omni-directional protection system and the multi-directional protection system (MiPS).
Don’t buy a helmet just based on looks, make an informed purchase based on fit and protective performance.
What can motorcycle helmet manufacturer’s do to improve helmet performance?
Current motorcycle helmet designs may be over-engineered to reduce translational forces that cause focal head injuries, resulting in helmets that are larger and heavier, thereby increasing the risk of rotational brain injuries, which are the primary cause of fatality in two-thirds of helmeted motorcycle crashes. Protection against focal injuries is important, but needs to be balanced against increased risk of rotational brain injuries. Manufacturers should evaluate materials that allow the development of smaller and lighter helmets.
A meta-analysis is underway, comparing helmets intended for a variety of activities including motorcycling, skiing, bicycle, off-road, American football, ice hockey and military. Preliminary results suggest that helmets intended for other sports activities may outperform motorcycle helmets at similar impact speeds in terms of protection against both focal head injuries and rotational brain injuries

^[i] U.S. Department of Transportation (2013) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Standard No. 218, Motorcycle helmets. Washington, DC.

^[ii] United Nations (2021). Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of: Protective Helmets, of their Visors and of their Accessories for Drivers and Passengers of Motorcycles and Mopeds. Regulation No. 22-06

^[iii] Snell Memorial Foundation. (2024). Standard for Protective Headgear for use with Motorcycles and Other Motorized Vehicles. M2025

New Football Helmet Reduces Brain Injury

John Lloyd of BRAINS, Inc. announced today that football head injuries and concussions can be reduced up to 50 percent with their new helmet safety breakthrough.

football helmet reduces brain injury - Dr John Lloyd

football helmet prototype

San Antonio, FL – Dr.John Lloyd PhD of BRAINS, Inc. announced their latest breakthrough in football helmet safety today. The unique new helmet technology promises to provide up to 50 percent more protection against football head injuries and concussions. The technology has wide application and can be used in every kind of helmet from baby helmets to military helmets, and for all athletes at risk of concussion and head injuries such as football players, cyclists, skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, hockey players, baseball players, lacrosse players, boxers, soccer players, equestrian / horse-riding sports, such as polo and horse racing, as well as motorcycle and race car drivers.

Recent medical research documents found that concussions and cumulative head impacts can lead to lifelong neurological consequences such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease known as CTE and early Alzheimer’s.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates 1.6 – 3.8 million sport-related brain injuries annually in the United States. Of these 300,000 are attributed to youth football players, some of whom die from their injuries every year – a tragedy difficult for their mothers and families to recover from.

The severity of the issue touching both the nation’s youth and professional athletes has led to thousands of lawsuits and Congressional Hearings. Growing concern has spread to the White House where President Obama recently spoke at the Healthy Kids and Safe Sports Concussion Summit.

The BRAINS, Inc. research team, led by renowned brain injury expert, Dr. John Lloyd, has worked for years on their project to help make sports safer. A controversial subject, some opponents have stated that concussion prevention is impossible. Dedicated to saving lives and preserving brain health, Dr. Lloyd and team persevered with their work leading to this new innovation. “Our results show that forces associated with concussion and brain injury are reduced up to 50% compared to similar testing with a leading football helmet,” said Dr. John Lloyd, Research Director.

helmet reduces brain injury - Dr John Lloyd

helmet prototype reduces concussion and brain injury risk

“The patent-pending matrix of non-Newtonian materials will not only benefit football, but can be utilized in all sports helmets as well as military, motorcycle and even baby helmets to improve protection and dramatically reduce the risk of brain injuries,” reported Dr. Lloyd.

The materials are inexpensive, and produce a helmet that is considerably lighter and more comfortable than a traditional helmet. Two additional applications of this new safety technology include medical flooring especially in hospitals and nursing homes or child play areas , as well as vehicle interiors.

About BRAINS, Inc.

BRAINS, Inc. located in San Antonio, Florida, is a research and development company focused on the biomechanics of brain injuries. The company was founded in 2011 by John D. Lloyd Bio, Ph.D., CPE, CBIS, Board Certified Ergonomist and Certified Brain Injury Specialist. He has also provided expert witness services nationwide for over 20 years in the fields of biomechanics, ergonomics and human factors, specializing in the biomechanics of brain injury, including sport and motorcycle helmet cases, slips and falls, motor vehicle accidents and pediatric head trauma. BRAINS, Inc. is open to licensing with manufacturers to bring this much-needed technology to market for the protection of sports participants and athletes of all ages. For additional information visit : http://drbiomechanics.com/sports-helmet-football-helmets/new-helmet-technology/ or call 813-624-8986.

Biomechanics Laboratory

I employ state-of-the-science biomechanics resources in my evaluations, as depicted in the following figure. This biomechanics laboratory includes various certified biofidelic mannequins, dedicated test apparatus, data acquisition hardware, software and calibrated sensor instrumentation, professional photography and high speed and videography equipment.

Much of my research and work for civil law suits focusses on biomechanical evaluation of helmets, in particular sports helmets, including football and ski helmets.

For helmet testing, we have a standard NOCSAE (National Operating Committee for Standards in Athletic Equipment) head drop system

However, the standard NOCSAE system only measures forces associated with linear acceleration, which are attributed with focal head injuries, such as skull fractures. This system has a rigid neck and therefore cannot measure rotational or angular accelerations, which are associated with traumatic brain injuries, such as concussion and subdural hematomas. We have a modified helmet drop test system, developed in collaboration with the University of Maine, Advanced Manufacturing Center, validation of which has been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The following image shows both the NOCSAE and modified helmet test systems in parallel.

Recent research shows that standard linear impact tests may not fully account for impact forces as they do not incorporate angular velocity. Therefore, I have created an inverted pendulum system, which is more representative of a standing fall

Additionally, the biomechanics laboratory is equipped with the following resources:

Monorail head drop assembly
Twin wire guided drop system (NOCSAE)
Weighted pendulum impactor
Linear bearing table
Height-adjustable, eletromagenetically-controlled freefall drop platform
20,000N impact force plate
880lb ceiling mounted lift system
Certified biofidelic adult headforms
CRABI12 biofidelic infant mannequin
Hybrid III 3-yr old biofidelic mannequin (KSS)
National Instruments 32 channel USB-6343 X-series data acquisition system
LabView 2009 data acquisition software.
Calibrated sensors, including Kistler and PCB Piezotronics tri-axial accelerometers, MEMS triple axis digital gyroscopes, and PCB Piezotronics uni-axial and tri-axial load cells.
Selection of flooring materials, including carpeting, wood and laminates as well as concrete and wood sub-flooring surrogates
Professional still photography equipment
Normal speed and high speed (up to 1kHz) videography equipment
Photography flash and ‘hot’ lighting

Brain Injury in Sports

Dr. Lloyd’s research article “Brain Injury in Sports”, co-authored with Dr. Frank Conidi has been published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.

Please email me at DrJohnLloyd@Tampabay.RR.com if you would like to receive a full copy of the published article.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Helmets are used for sports, military, and transportation to protect against impact forces and associated injuries. The common belief among end users is that the helmet protects the whole head, including the brain. However, current consensus among biomechanists and sports neurologists indicates that helmets do not provide significant protection against concussion and brain injuries. In this paper the authors present existing scientific evidence on the mechanisms underlying traumatic head and brain injuries, along with a biomechanical evaluation of 21 current and retired football helmets.

METHODS
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) standard test apparatus was modified and validated for impact testing of protective headwear to include the measurement of both linear and angular kinematics. From a drop height of 2.0 m onto a flat steel anvil, each football helmet was impacted 5 times in the occipital area.

RESULTS
Skull fracture risk was determined for each of the current varsity football helmets by calculating the percentage reduction in linear acceleration relative to a 140-g skull fracture threshold. Risk of subdural hematoma was determined by calculating the percentage reduction in angular acceleration relative to the bridging vein failure threshold, computed as a function of impact duration. Ranking the helmets according to their performance under these criteria, the authors determined that the Schutt Vengeance performed the best overall.

CONCLUSIONS
The study findings demonstrated that not all football helmets provide equal or adequate protection against either focal head injuries or traumatic brain injuries. In fact, some of the most popular helmets on the field ranked among the worst. While protection is improving, none of the current or retired varsity football helmets can provide absolute protection against brain injuries, including concussions and subdural hematomas. To maximize protection against head and brain injuries for football players of all ages, the authors propose thresholds for all sports helmets based on a peak linear acceleration no greater than 90 g and a peak angular acceleration not exceeding 1700 rad/sec2.

Please call Dr. Lloyd at 813-624-8986 or email DrJohnLloyd@Tampabay.RR.com if you would like to receive a full copy of the published article “Brain Injury in Sports”

Why all head protection is in need of a redesign

The humble helmet dates back nearly 3000 years and though it has been used prolifically in warfare, it is now most commonly used to provide head protection outside the combat arena.

However, although applications might have diversified, it is still fundamentally designed and used to provide the same thing.

So when this most traditional of objects is combined with modern sensor technologies, greater test data resolution and analysis, there is bound to be fresh insight.

And this is the case for many conventional designs where sensors, test and measurement technologies are changing conventional thinking into how something has been designed, to how it should be designed.

It sets the scene and means helmet design is on a collision course for further impact protection, specifically in preventing serious brain injury by giving helmet designers greater clarity in to the mechanical forces at play in any particular scenario.

It was this, along with a lifetime of comprehensive knowledge, which enabled biomechanist Dr John Lloyd, research director of BRAINS, to start up a company dedicated to improving current helmet technology and ultimately improve protection for wearers. He aims to shed new light on helmet design, and improve protection against the fundamental causes of concussion and brain injury.

“There are two key forces at play during a head impact,” said Dr Lloyd, speaking at this year’s National Instruments Week in Austin, Texas. “Firstly there are linear forces, these are the ones that cause visible injuries such as bruising and skull fractures. However, the second is the rotational forces. These are the ones that cause invisible injuries such as concussion and brain injury.

“Current helmet testing technologies measure the linear forces. However, at this time, they do not measure the rotational forces, so consequently we have helmets for many sports that do not test against their ability to provide protection against concussions and brain injury.”

Whether it is for riding a bike, horse riding, skiing or indeed for the soldier in the field, the effect of rotational movement is the same. Yet, it is rarely tested for, and even less frequently measured, to see how effective any helmet is in rotation force protection.

Dr Lloyd modified the standard apparatus used for testing helmets (see the rig on page 28), where a head section is raised 2m on a rig and dropped under gravity before it hits a striking plate with an impact force in the region of 4500N. However, instead of using a standard head form, Dr Lloyd replaced it with a standard automotive crash test dummy head and neck section. This way, when the head impacts the striking plate at the bottom of the test rig it will rotate, and the movement measured.

“We had multiple sensors embedded in the centre of mass of this head form,” explained Lloyd. “So, during the impact we were able to measure the linear acceleration as well as the angular motion of the head.

“My measuring apparatus includes sensors from several manufacturers.. The angular rate sensor, for example, that is used to measure the rotational forces is a highly specialised sensor. And, as a result, has its own data acquisition hardware and software.”

Simplifying synchronisation
Trying to integrate all this data from different sensors was a challenge at best. And to make matters more complicated, the peak linear acceleration and peak angular acceleration actually happen at different points in time.

“So while you can just line up the data,” he said, “there is a lag between them. So we need to measure that lag, which is a critical measurement in the research.”

To resolve the problem, Dr Lloyd uses both the National Instruments LabView graphical software and a CompactDAQ to interface with the sensors and provide the necessary synchronisation between the various sensors.

Dr Lloyd modified his apparatus for testing helmets used by American footballers in the National Football League (NFL), to develop understanding of the how spinal and head injuries are caused and improve the design of the standard helmet.

“The results are pretty alarming in terms of how little protection they provide against concussions and traumatic brain injuries,” he said.

“Based on lessons learned from that study, I have developed a new ‘football’ helmet prototype. This uses a patent pending matrix of non-Newtonian materials and when we tested the prototype helmet, on the same apparatus, the result blew me away. Not only did these materials reduce the linear forces but compared to the standard football helmet they actually reduced the rotational forces that cause concussion and brain injury by an amazing 50%.”

The non-Newtonian materials Lloyd has in mind are inexpensive and produce a helmet that is considerably lighter and even said to be more comfortable for those wearing them.

Dr Lloyd is now expanding the concept of reducing rotation forces in helmets in every application and said it can be applied to almost any helmet design to help reduce concussion and brain injuries from sports to leisure and even back to warfare.

Building a rig and conducting the test
A modification to the US National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) standard test apparatus was used by Dr John Lloyd, research director of US helmet research start-up, BRAINS.

He developed and validated a new helmet test rig to measure the impact of protective headwear to include measurements of both linear and angular kinematics. This apparatus consists of a twin wire fall test system equipped with a drop arm that incorporates a 50th percentile Hybrid III head and neck assembly from HumaneticsATD crash test dummy, as used in the automotive industry.

The aluminium fly arm runs on Teflon sleeves through parallel braided stainless steel wires, which are attached to mounting points in the building structure and anchored into the concrete foundation. The anvil, onto which the head drop systems impacts, consists of a 350mm x 350mm steel based plate.

Both the standard Riddell Revolution Speed US university football helmet, and the prototype BRAINS helmet that incorporates a non-Newtonian matrix, were dropped from a height of 2m onto a flat steel anvil, in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. This generated an impact velocity of 6.2 m/s (13.9 mph).

Instrumentation:
A triaxial accelerometer from PCB Piezotronics and three DTS-ARS Pro 18k angular rate sensors (Diversified Technical Systems) were affixed to a tri-axial block installed at the centre of mass in the Hybrid III head form. Data from the accelerometer and angular rate sensors were acquired using National Instruments compactDAQ hardware.

Analysis:
Data from the analogue sensors were acquired at 10,000Hz, per channel, using LabView and then filtered in Matlab using a phaseless 4th order Butterworth filter with a cut off frequency of 1650Hz. Angular acceleration values were derived from the angular velocity data based on a 5-point least squares quartic equation.

Result:
The result of the new helmet design shows significant improvement in rotational acceleration exerted on the head and neck, cutting the overall force by nearly 50%.

Author
Justin Cunningham

– See more at: http://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/design-engineering-features/technology/why-all-head-protection-is-in-need-of-a-redesign/66493/#sthash.6Tv5duXE.dpuf

Testing Proves Motorcycle Helmets Provide Inadequate Protection Against TBI

Motorcycle accident victims account for more than 340,000 fatalities annually, with the United States ranking 8th highest worldwide in the number of motorcycle accident deaths. 75% of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve brain injury, with rotational forces acting on the brain the primary cause of mortality. Current motorcycle helmets are effective at reducing head injuries associated with blunt impact. However, the mechanism of traumatic brain injury is biomechanically very different.

Samples of 9 motorcycle helmet models, representing full-face, three-quarter and shorty designs were evaluated. Helmets, fitted to an instrumented Hybrid III head and neck, were dropped at 13 mph in accordance with DOT motorcycle helmet testing standards.

Results show that, on average, there is a 67% risk of concussion and a 10% probability of severe or fatal brain injury associated with a relatively minor 13mph helmeted head impact.

In conclusion, motorcycle helmets provide inadequate protection against concussion and severe traumatic brain injury associated with even relatively minor head impact

Helmets Do Not Prevent Brain Injury?

In a word. No.

A better question might be “Can Helmets Prevent Brain Injury?” Same answer – No.

It is not currently possible to develop a helmet that can protect all persons under all foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. But, given current medical understanding of head and brain injuries as well as 21st Century advanced materials, it is certainly possible to protect most people from life-threattening brain injuries under foreseen circumstances.

Helmets are actually intended to protect against blunt trauma injuries to the head. They are not specifically designed to prevent brain injuries.

The mechanisms which cause head and brain injuries are quite different. Forces associated with linear accelerations are responsible for visible injuries, such as lacerations, contusions and skull fracture. Whereas, brain injuries, including concussions, axonal injury and subdural hematoma are caused by forces associated with angular / rotational accelerations. When the head impacts a surface, the skull may come to an abrupt stop, but inertia acting on the brain will cause it to continue to move This inertia strains the nerves and blood vessels of the brain, causing injuries. The type of injury is dependent on the magnitude of this strain and the time duration over which it acts on the brain.

Helmets may indeed reduce the rotational forces acting on the brain. But since helmets are not currently certified according to their ability to protect against brain injury the level of protection is not standardized. Hence, it is possible to sustain catastrophic brain injuries, even while wearing a helmet.

I have performed extensive biomechanical testing of helmets for various applications, including military, motorcycle, football, skiing / snowboarding and cycling. My testing involves measurement of both linear and angular accelerations, thereby characterizing helmets in terms of their ability to protect against head and brain injuries. Results vary substantially between manufacturers that offer helmets for particular applications and between applications. Based on my testing to date, I can report that certain football helmets seem to outperform helmets in other categories in terms of their ability to protect against head and brain injuries.

Much research has been conducted to understand and quantify biomechanical thresholds for various head and brain injuries, including skull fractures, concussions, axonal injury (damage to nerve fibers in the brain) and subdural hematomas (bleeding in the brain). Why then don’t all helmet manufacturers strive to provide necessary protection?

There are certain intrinsic or personal factors that might increase one’s risk of head and brain injury, but for the rest of us, why do helmets provide inadequate protection against life-threatening head and brain injuries during reasonable or foreseen use?

One example of this is the life-threatening brain injury which former Formula One superstar, Michael Schumaker sustained when he fell while skiing and impacted a rock. It has been reported that Mr. Schumaker was only skiing at about 13mph when he fell and the likelihood of impacting a fixed object while skiing, such as a tree or rock is certainly not unforeseen. So why did his helmet fail to provide necessary protection?

Advanced materials certainly exist to provide required protection for normal persons, including Mr. Schumaker and many other unfortunate victims, under normal or foreseen circumstances. As end-users, we must demand that regulatory organizations require helmet manufacturers meet standards that protect persons who are not otherwise at heightened risk from head and brain injuries due to foreseen circumstances.

Dr. John Lloyd | Motorcycle Crash, Biomechanics, Human Factors Expert

813-624-8986 | John@DrBiomechanics.com