Motorcycle Insurance News
Foam in helmets 'not always useful'
17 August 2010
Motorcycle insurance customers will be keen to know that foam, which is often used as padding in helmets, does not always provide adequate protection.
According to new research carried out by the New York University (NYU) and its Polytechnic Institute found that foam offers protection only when compressed at slow speeds.
Furthermore, it was found that foam can be as dangerous as any other hard surface when hit at high speeds.
Nikhil Gupta, of NYU-Polytechnic's department of mechanical engineering, said: "The foam materials that seem soft when slowly compressed can actually become much stiffer as the loading rate is increased.
"A foam that would crush when slowly compressed can cause injury if punched hard."
The revelations follow from recent news that government Budget cuts are sparking off protests from road users who are concerned about speed cameras being switched off.
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