Throwing out a dropped helmet...Urban Legend?

So I was about to respond to a friend's facebook post advising that, if they drop a helmet, they should replace it...but then asked myself why did I think that???? Well, because I very often heard cyclists say so...

So, some TE research led me to Snell Foundation (which I had not heard of...) http://www.smf.org/ and they address the issue in a Q&A

I dropped my helmet! Do I have to go buy a new one?
Generally the answer is probably not. Helmets are one use items, but are quite durable otherwise, at least the ones we certify. Frequent dropping or spiking a helmet on the ground, or other hard surfaces may eventually degrade the helmet's performance. Similarly if the helmet falls to the ground at highway speeds unoccupied the owner must be aware that some degradation may have occurred. In general the real damage comes when the helmet contacts an object with a head inside. The Foundation recommends that if you are participating in an activity that requires that you wear a helmet, that you avoid hitting stuff with your head. It can be difficult to readily determine if a helmet has been damaged, and the protective capabilities compromised without a thorough inspection by a trained professional. Some manufacturers may provide this service or direct you to these others that can perform these inspections. The Foundation recommends that if you suspect your helmet may be compromised, then replace it. If the helmet has been involved in an impact while in use, replace it.

So, I guess this is the equivalent of a cycling urban legend... Plus, I like their advice that it's best to 'avoid hitting stuff with your head':rolleyes::D

If I replaced my helmet every time I dropped it, I'd be buying a lot of helmets! It has taken quite a few tumbles out of the car when I've unloaded my bike. Good thing I never heard this urban legend. I did replace my helmet after the crash where my head slid, along with the rest of me, along the pavement. "Oh SAG truck,.. ride please?"

I recently dropped mine while trying to carry to much inside the house. It landed half on my shoe and showed no outward signs. It did make me pause and wonder... So I am glad to see this. It would be very expensive to replace just because I was a klutz.

Motorcycling gals - could it be that this comes from motorcycling?

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Originally Posted by lph

Motorcycling gals - could it be that this comes from motorcycling?

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Possibly. I have definitely heard of this, in regards to motorcycle helmets. However, I must admit to dropping my motorcycle helmet more than a few times and not replacing it.

I drop my helmet at least once a week. I check it over frequently for cracks. Earlier this year I managed to drop it just right on a sidewalk so that the back side hit the ground on a point. The helmet developed a crack and I was able to pull that section of the helmet apart without too much effort, so I retired that helmet.

I'm quite good at dropping things. My stainless steel water bottles carry an impressive collection of dents. I tend to analyze items for durability before purchase for this reason.

Um.

The piece does say that a helmet that has been dropped frequently should be replaced.

I've never replaced a helmet just because I dropped it once. But once a week? What's it worth to you, to be able to walk and feed yourself and communicate with other human beings?

Every time you drop a helmet, you damage it, irreversibly and incrementally. Each individual drop may cause a negligible amount of damage, but it does add up. The piece acknowledges that. I don't think I've ever dropped a helmet more than three times, but if I did, I'd replace it.

Rattling around inside a trunk, getting stuck underneath a bike, all that kind of thing will also damage it incrementally.

Be careful with your helmets. Remember what they're for.

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Originally Posted by lph

Motorcycling gals - could it be that this comes from motorcycling?

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Originally Posted by nscrbug

Possibly. I have definitely heard of this, in regards to motorcycle helmets. However, I must admit to dropping my motorcycle helmet more than a few times and not replacing it.

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I head in my MSF course, though, that for a dropped helmet to be damaged to the point of replacement, it had to have something inside it (i.e., your head). It's not the impact with the ground that necessarily causes damage, but the secondary impact of the skull inside the helmet. So at least my MSF course was NOT preaching "drop it get a new one".

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Originally Posted by soprano

I drop my helmet at least once a week. I check it over frequently for cracks. Earlier this year I managed to drop it just right on a sidewalk so that the back side hit the ground on a point. The helmet developed a crack and I was able to pull that section of the helmet apart without too much effort, so I retired that helmet.

I'm quite good at dropping things. My stainless steel water bottles carry an impressive collection of dents. I tend to analyze items for durability before purchase for this reason.

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How about if you put your stuff in a fabric bag so you won't drop it so easily? It's not good to drop a helmet so frequently. I'd be concerned about the helmet and annoyed at myself if I were dropping stuff that frequently--that's alot of picking things up!

Don't worry too much about me! I check my helmet over quite carefully on a frequent basis, and replaced my last one just as soon as I saw a crack. I don't mind replacing frequently; under these conditions I don't expect them to last for a year. (I'm glad that the safety certification is the same, regardless of price!)

I used to clip the helmet to my bag, but it seemed to get banged around even more. I'm a university student and have nowhere to store anything during the day - we can't even leave our things for a minute in the library if we get up to go pee, due to very real theft concerns. I'm really looking forward to graduating and finding a job with a desk to call my own :)

soprano, if you invest in an Arkel Bug backpack pannier, you'll have a place to put your helmet (there's a handy helmet holder on the outside of the pack). It costs the same as a couple of helmets (it's gone up since I looked at them first years ago), so you might actually save money by not having to buy a new helmet every year. Helmets might be damaged even if you don't see cracks.

Just some thoughts, from someone who was in an bike accident and had to be airlifted and takes helmets very seriously.