How Do Motorcycle Helmets Affect Vision and Hearing

While helmets are known to reduce the chances of head injury in a motorcycle accident there is concern that they might increase the possibility of a crash by interfering with the rider’s vision and hearing. This study measured the effects of motorcycle helmets upon both seeing and hearing by having 50 riders operate over a test route, changing lanes in response to an sound signal under three helmet conditions: none, partial coverage, and full coverage. Half of the riders were assessed for the degree of head rotation during the lane changes, while the other half were assessed for the decibel level at which they first responded to a sound signal. Results showed that riders in the vision study increased the degree of head rotation in proportion to the vision restriction imposed by the helmets. While, the degree of rotation did not entirely match the full extent of the restriction, individual differences in head rotation far exceeded the effect of variation in helmets. Riders in the hearing study evidenced no differences in the sound level at which the sound was detected across the three helmet conditions. It is apparent that the effects of helmets upon the ability to see and hear are, at most, far too small to compromise the safety benefits offered by head protection.