“Helmet saved life” of biker who fell four storeys

[Bob]

When Leon Belusca lost control of his bike in a carpark and fell four storeys, his crash helmet made the difference.

Belusca, 28, from Nashua, New Hampshire, was saying goodbye to friends when his bike ‘lurched forwards for no apparent reason’. Belusca was vaulted over the wall of the carpark and fell to the pavement.

his father, Larry Belesca said “We were shocked when he told us how much his helmet cost (USD 200), but since then we’ve learned that is inexpensive. If he didn't have his helmet on, we wouldn't have Leon"

Belesca was in serious condition at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston with multiple injuries, but doctors said his prospects for recovery look good, his family added.

[Owl]

+1 for helmets!:niceone:

[Big Dog]

Geez, must be the fastest a helmet has hit the ground in a long time!
Good value if you ask me!

[Choco]

another good reason to ATGATT :banana:

[avgas]

yep - some need to wear it off the bike

[TOTO]

well what kind of helmet was it damn it - I want one of them

[Wingnut]

When Leon Belusca lost control of his bike in a carpark and fell four storeys, his crash helmet made the difference.

Belusca, 28, from Nashua, New Hampshire, was saying goodbye to friends when his bike ‘lurched forwards for no apparent reason’. Belusca was vaulted over the wall of the carpark and fell to the pavement.

his father, Larry Belesca said “We were shocked when he told us how much his helmet cost (USD 200), but since then we’ve learned that is inexpensive. If he didn't have his helmet on, we wouldn't have Leon"

Belesca was in serious condition at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston with multiple injuries, but doctors said his prospects for recovery look good, his family added.

USA USA USA:whistle:

[oldrider]

well what kind of helmet was it damn it - I want one of them

What kind of bike was it, I don't want one of "them!" :shifty: John.

[Swoop]

The way that the OSH Monster is going, we will all have to wear a helmet, every moment of our lives...

[oldrider]

The way that the OSH Monster is going, we will all have to wear a helmet, every moment of our lives...

I spose that will give whole new meaning to "safe sex" next! :buggerd::argh: John.

[FJRider]

I spose that will give whole new meaning to "safe sex" next! :buggerd::argh: John.

Latex jackets at all times ???

[FJRider]

Geez, must be the fastest a helmet has hit the ground in a long time!
Good value if you ask me!

Terminal velocity (maximum speed falling) is I think 116 mph... not really that fast compared to World Superbikes...

[Swoop]

Terminal velocity (maximum speed falling) is I think 116 mph... not really that fast compared to World Superbikes...

120mph, but this is a starting guide.
A lot faster is attainable...

[NordieBoy]

Terminal velocity (maximum speed falling) is I think 116 mph... not really that fast compared to World Superbikes...

But a typical WSB arseoff would be hitting the ground from less than 2m.

[FJRider]

but at 180 PLUS...mph.

[mstriumph]

ok
so HE is ok

but does it say how the bike is? :mellow:

[NordieBoy]

but at 180 PLUS...mph.

The distance to the ground is the same.

Impact damage is the same - abrasion damage is heaps higher.

[Big Dog]

The distance to the ground is the same.

Impact damage is the same - abrasion damage is heaps higher.

Taken from http://www.saskma.com/content/view/20/4/

Even though many motorcycles were capable of running the quarter-mile in 11 seconds (or less) and topping 140 mph back in '81, not one of the 900-odd accidents investigated in the Hurt study involved a speed over 100 mph. The "one in a thousand" speed seen in the Hurt Report was 86 mph, meaning only one of the accidents seen in the 900-crash study occurred at or above that speed. And the COST 327 study, done recently in the land of the autobahn, contained very few crashes over 120 kph, or 75 mph. The big lesson here is this: It's a mistake to assume that going really fast causes a significant number of accidents just because a motorcycle can go really fast.

Another eye-opener: In spite of what one might assume, the speed at which an accident starts does not necessarily correlate to the impact the head—or helmet—will have to absorb in a crash. That is, according to the Hurt Report and the similar Thailand study, going faster when you fall off does not typically result in your helmet taking a harder hit.

How can this be? Because the vast majority of head impacts occur when the rider falls off his bike and simply hits his head on the flat road surface. The biggest impact in a given crash will typically happen on that first contact, and the energy is proportional to the height from which the rider falls—not his forward speed at the time. A big highside may give a rider some extra altitude, but rarely higher than 8 feet. A high-speed crash may involve a lot of sliding along the ground, but this is not particularly challenging to a helmeted head because all modern full-face helmets do an excellent job of protecting you from abrasion.

In fact, the vast majority of crashed helmets examined in the Hurt Report showed that they had absorbed about the same impact you'd receive if you simply tipped over while standing, like a bowling pin, and hit your head on the pavement. Ninety-plus percent of the head impacts surveyed, in fact, were equal to or less than the force involved in a 7-foot drop. And 99 percent of the impacts were at or below the energy of a 10-foot drop.

[_Shrek_]

Belusca, 28, from Nashua, New Hampshire, was saying goodbye to friends when his bike ‘lurched forwards for no apparent reason’. Belusca was vaulted over the wall of the carpark and fell to the pavement.

:shifty: sounds like the computers in bikes are taking over

[Mikkel]

‘lurched forwards for no apparent reason’ ... tui.

You gotta hate it when those clutch cables break for no apparent reason and without any warning whatsoever.

[slimjim]

fuck the helmet.! how's the bike......?

[Kornholio]

yep - some need to wear it off the bike

Lol I know people like that :doctor:

[mouldy]

If car drivers wore helmets the road toll would go down . Racing car drivers do and they're all going the same way .