Chapter 2
Review of Literature: Motorcycle Helmet
2.1 Introduction
The motorcycle helmet’s primary purpose is to protect the head, retaining the strength
and integrity of the helmet structure with a perfect fit and providing comfort to the
wearer. To maintain the structural integrity and safety aspects of motorcycle helmets,
no holes are allowed to be drilled in the helmet for ventilation. As a result, heat builds
up inside the helmet and causes heat stress that affects the concentration and ability
of the rider. Ensuing discomfort makes the rider impatient, resulting in taking risks
on the road, thereby possibly causing accidents.
2.2 Need for Motorcycle Helmet
The introduction of the compulsory wearing of motorcycle helmets in Australia
in the 1960s resulted in a substantial decline in serious head injuries sustained by
motorcyclists [1]. Contemporary analysis also addresses the efficiency of helmet
usage in reducing the impacts to the head in case of an accident. Easing of the
mandatory requirement to wear a helmet in the USA for motorcyclists led to a 40–
50% decrease in helmet wearing rates and a subsequent increase in the frequency of
fatal head injuries [2]. Motorcyclists form a very high percentage of crash victims in
road traffic accidents. Riders injured in crashes predominantly had injuries to their
heads, which were the common cause of severe morbidity and mortality [3, 4]. This
demonstrates that, to prevent serious head injury, it is essential to use protective
headgear such as helmets.
In Australia, there has been a reduction in general road accidents on average of
2.1% per year over the last five years. However, for motorcyclists, there was a yearly
increase of 4.1% in fatalities over the same period. In 2005, the national road toll in
Australia indicated that the death of motorcyclists and pillion passengers was 14%
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
S. Kanesalingam and R. Nayak, Sustainable Phase Change and Polymeric Water
Absorbent Materials, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5750-7_2
7
Review of Literature: Motorcycle Helmet
2.1 Introduction
The motorcycle helmet’s primary purpose is to protect the head, retaining the strength
and integrity of the helmet structure with a perfect fit and providing comfort to the
wearer. To maintain the structural integrity and safety aspects of motorcycle helmets,
no holes are allowed to be drilled in the helmet for ventilation. As a result, heat builds
up inside the helmet and causes heat stress that affects the concentration and ability
of the rider. Ensuing discomfort makes the rider impatient, resulting in taking risks
on the road, thereby possibly causing accidents.
2.2 Need for Motorcycle Helmet
The introduction of the compulsory wearing of motorcycle helmets in Australia
in the 1960s resulted in a substantial decline in serious head injuries sustained by
motorcyclists [1]. Contemporary analysis also addresses the efficiency of helmet
usage in reducing the impacts to the head in case of an accident. Easing of the
mandatory requirement to wear a helmet in the USA for motorcyclists led to a 40–
50% decrease in helmet wearing rates and a subsequent increase in the frequency of
fatal head injuries [2]. Motorcyclists form a very high percentage of crash victims in
road traffic accidents. Riders injured in crashes predominantly had injuries to their
heads, which were the common cause of severe morbidity and mortality [3, 4]. This
demonstrates that, to prevent serious head injury, it is essential to use protective
headgear such as helmets.
In Australia, there has been a reduction in general road accidents on average of
2.1% per year over the last five years. However, for motorcyclists, there was a yearly
increase of 4.1% in fatalities over the same period. In 2005, the national road toll in
Australia indicated that the death of motorcyclists and pillion passengers was 14%
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license
to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
S. Kanesalingam and R. Nayak, Sustainable Phase Change and Polymeric Water
Absorbent Materials, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5750-7_2
7