Motorcycle Helmets

[GreenShone]

The motorsi guys force me to wear a helmet every time I ride with them. I have noticed that the helmets are old and doesn't look impressive enough to protect my head during accidents. More often than not, I do not wear those helmets, but carry them instead. Why wear it if not for protection?

Edited July 19, 2007 by GreenShone

[percy2]

The motorsi guys force me to wear a helmet every time I ride with them. I have noticed that the helmets are old and doesn't look impressive enough to protect my head during accidents. More often than not, I do not wear those helmets, but carry them instead. Why wear it if not for protection?

A little experiment/example,

Take a dozen eggs (fresh) and individually drop them from a height of 1m onto a tiled floor.

Now take another dozen eggs in a carton and drop them from the same height onto the same tiled floor.

I guess from the first dozen you will have no survivors. The carton doesn't seem to offer the other eggs much protection but I'm pretty sure you will have some survivors.

I guess the adage should be "the protection may not be great , but its better than <deleted> all"

Cheers

[jbowman1993]

The motorsi guys force me to wear a helmet every time I ride with them. I have noticed that the helmets are old and doesn't look impressive enough to protect my head during accidents. More often than not, I do not wear those helmets, but carry them instead. Why wear it if not for protection?

A little experiment/example,

Take a dozen eggs (fresh) and individually drop them from a height of 1m onto a tiled floor.

Now take another dozen eggs in a carton and drop them from the same height onto the same tiled floor.

I guess from the first dozen you will have no survivors. The carton doesn't seem to offer the other eggs much protection but I'm pretty sure you will have some survivors.

I guess the adage should be "the protection may not be great , but its better than <deleted> all"

Cheers

Words of wisdom Percy. But, if the OP doesn't feel like wearing a helmet, thats up to him. Eventually, Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection will come into play, he'll be off the road forever.

Edited July 20, 2007 by jbowman1993

[JetsetBkk]

<snip>

Eventually, Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection will come into play, he'll be off the road forever.

Damm! You beat me to it!

[PeaceBlondie]

Another example: imagine you are riding a motorcycle at the very slow speed of 36 kilometers per hour. That's ten meters per second. Now, look across the room at a hard wall that's five meters away. Imagine how your head would feel hitting that wall 0.5 seconds from now. A fall to the pavement when the motorcycle is going zero miles per hour yields similar results. The answer is not to use no protection at all, but to get yourself (or your friends) better, newer helmets. Even 600 baht buys a decent new helmet. If you think your smile is worth protecting, a full face helmet costs 1000 baht and up, and extensive maxiofacillary surgery costs over 100,000 baht.

[orchardtowers]

i avoid this problem by taking a taxi and using the seatbelt.

this in conjunction with the condom i wear and keep sellotaped to the base of my modest member should keep me safe in thailand i hope.

i also buy comprehensive travel insurance in case the hotel window should fall out onto the street when i try to close it.

[Mighty Mouse]

Wearing the motor cycle taxi's crash helmet may offer some protection to your cranium but what protection is offered against head lice?

[viciouskitty74]

Hmmmm....thanks for the reminder. I guess its always best to get a small helmet in the bags.

[dogblower]

The motorsi guys force me to wear a helmet every time I ride with them. I have noticed that the helmets are old and doesn't look impressive enough to protect my head during accidents. More often than not, I do not wear those helmets, but carry them instead. Why wear it if not for protection?

I hear what you're saying. I bought a good helmet and wear it whenever I am on my motorbike - even just to travel 100m. The helmets that the motorbike taxis offer are useless and I'm inclined not to bother.

[a2396]

The best helmet I have found in Thailand is the one sold by Honda for Honda Wave. It is very comfortable & has 4 air flow vents in the top (330 bht). I am sure the full face ones at 1400 + bht are better, but I find them to hot & covering my ears reduces my hearing for crazy motorcycles & cars zoomong up behind me. People riding with no helment are brain dead already.

[stiggy]

Is it me or was the Op question incredibly stuuuupid.....

Stay here long enough and im sure a dead friend or two who will answer the question for you.

He probably wont wear sun screen either as it ONly protects you for variable amounts of time...

I think the English term is prat.

[kmart]

Just yesterday morning I drove past some kid laid in the road. With the contents of his (surprisingly far from empty) head spread over two lanes of traffic. His motorcycle, and the rest of his body looked relatively unscathed. He may have been worried about mussing up his new J-pop hairdo, or something. Uncool...

Darwin in motion.

[technocracy]

I think the point here is the bits of plastic that often masquarade as a 'helmet' used by most Thais would split on impact and be totally useless again any accident. In fact the plastic splintering into you face, eyes etc would probably add to mess of you head already!

For any real protection you need an standard approved version with decent impact foam inside, preferably an ACU approved helmet is really what you need - but I very very much doubt that any sold in Thailand would have this level of approval.

For this reason I only wear my AGV helment that is ACU approved .. .. my head has been bounced down the road in one before and had no injury and the helmet itself was barely marked.

[Dustoff]

This topic has certainly come up before and usually results in many people slamming one-another for their varying opinions with little to nothing relating to studies or facts.

Try reading Brainbucket stats.

IMHO, most of the feeble helmets offered cheaply here are next to useless and even more of a danger to you if you feel more confident and safe while wearing one. When I wear a helmet, I wear a very light one that is a thin stainless steel shell with leather covering and I bought it here in Chiang Mai.

A comment about brains being spattered over two lanes sounds to me like a crush injury (as are many motorcycle accidents) and I don't think that even my stainless steel one would protect my head if it is run over by a heavy vehicle. But I like the comment about falling off a motorbike with no forward speed and have a comment:

A week ago I was walking home from a friends house (sober), in the dark, and was bending over to pet a friendly neighbor dog while still walking. I didn't even see the larger male dog coming, who aggressively planted himself in front of my legs, and I pitched over him so quickly that I didn't even have time to get my hands up or roll out of it. Yup, face-first, right into the pavement. The impact slightly cracked my skull at my left eyebrow and gave me a lttle road-rash as well. You should see the glorious black eye I am still sporting!

Yes, a helmet would have offered protection but I am not about to begin advocating helmets for walkers or people who pet dogs. Or for people sitting on something that is going at "zero speed".

Better quality and heavier helmets do give more protection for your head but they snap necks with equal or more frequency and your risk is the same for a fatality as without any helmet at all. Read the stats. Makers of automobiles for professional racing circuits are now required to install helmet restraints because helmets kill drivers. Helmet restraints are not possible on a bike and it is impossible to deny that motorcylists are being killed by their helmets - at an alarming rate. I know that this would be unusual in the corporate world but I think you can bet that the high-end motorcycle helmet manufacturers are more interested in marketing, and lobbying for helmet laws, than they are in your safety.

This is an emotional issue and I am not surprised that many people are willing to make degrading remarks about others but it makes it seem that they are more interested in their opinions and personal experiences than facts.

Bummer. Common sense and education save far more lives than strong opinions...

There's more in A previous Chiang Mai discussion.

Good luck.

[Jim's_a_Thai_Fox]

I like the personal freedom of being able to choose if I want to wear a crash helmet (or seat belt for that matter).

I like the personal freedom to call people morons who choose not to wear a crash helmet (or a seat belt).

IMHO, the freedom should be yours.

Humans are pretty pig headed creatures, and it will usually take some 'close to home' experience to force the reality of a dangerous situation home. 5 years ago, my cousin died instantly after smashing head-on into a tree on a race-spec Ducati wearing full leathers and a Shoei. That's my warning. I heed to it - even if it's a plastic paint pot with a strap on.

Good luck to you all whatever your personal choices and I hope that fortune continues to favour you until it doesn't.

James

[richard10365]

I had a head on collision with a pickup truck. I had my helmet on an had no head trauma. My passenger did not wear a helmet and had some cuts and brusies on her face. Although, my hip was broken in 4 places and also broke 2 ribs. Who knows what might have happened if I had not worn a helmet.

[sukanyacondo]

This topic has certainly come up before and usually results in many people slamming one-another for their varying opinions with little to nothing relating to studies or facts.

Try reading Brainbucket stats.

IMHO, most of the feeble helmets offered cheaply here are next to useless and even more of a danger to you if you feel more confident and safe while wearing one. When I wear a helmet, I wear a very light one that is a thin stainless steel shell with leather covering and I bought it here in Chiang Mai.

A comment about brains being spattered over two lanes sounds to me like a crush injury (as are many motorcycle accidents) and I don't think that even my stainless steel one would protect my head if it is run over by a heavy vehicle. But I like the comment about falling off a motorbike with no forward speed and have a comment:

A week ago I was walking home from a friends house (sober), in the dark, and was bending over to pet a friendly neighbor dog while still walking. I didn't even see the larger male dog coming, who aggressively planted himself in front of my legs, and I pitched over him so quickly that I didn't even have time to get my hands up or roll out of it. Yup, face-first, right into the pavement. The impact slightly cracked my skull at my left eyebrow and gave me a lttle road-rash as well. You should see the glorious black eye I am still sporting!

Yes, a helmet would have offered protection but I am not about to begin advocating helmets for walkers or people who pet dogs. Or for people sitting on something that is going at "zero speed".

Better quality and heavier helmets do give more protection for your head but they snap necks with equal or more frequency and your risk is the same for a fatality as without any helmet at all. Read the stats. Makers of automobiles for professional racing circuits are now required to install helmet restraints because helmets kill drivers. Helmet restraints are not possible on a bike and it is impossible to deny that motorcylists are being killed by their helmets - at an alarming rate. I know that this would be unusual in the corporate world but I think you can bet that the high-end motorcycle helmet manufacturers are more interested in marketing, and lobbying for helmet laws, than they are in your safety.

This is an emotional issue and I am not surprised that many people are willing to make degrading remarks about others but it makes it seem that they are more interested in their opinions and personal experiences than facts.

Bummer. Common sense and education save far more lives than strong opinions...

There's more in A previous Chiang Mai discussion.

Good luck.

Is it 20000 deaths a year on Mopeds in Thailand now???Helmets work but are a pain to keep putting on and off. I have driven bikes for more than 20 years from 100cc to 1100cc. Uk bike deaths are a fraction of this. Thailands roads are nothing more than death traps. If I went on a bike here it would be full leathers with reinforced back elbow and leg protection, full face helmet and gloves too.

Thais obviously place almost zero value on their lives, least it seems that way when Im out on the roads here.

[Dustoff]

I had a head on collision with a pickup truck. I had my helmet on an had no

head trauma. My passenger did not wear a helmet and had some cuts and

brusies on her face. Although, my hip was broken in 4 places and also broke

2 ribs. Who knows what might have happened if I had not worn a helmet.

Indeed. Like your helmetless passenger who received only minor injuries, you may have gotten some "cuts and bruises" in addition to your very serious injuries.

5 years ago, my cousin died instantly after smashing head-on into a tree on a

race-spec Ducati wearing full leathers and a Shoei. That's my warning. I

heed to it - even if it's a plastic paint pot with a strap on.

What, no warning about running into trees at high speed? Your cousin died instantly (my condolences) while wearing a high quality and very expensive Shoei helmet and what you got out of it was to wear a helmet, even if a useless one? If this is not written tongue-in-cheek, I have to say that you and the other poster above are not really supporting the pro-helmet folks.

Altho I have to admit that if pots didn't work for paint, it wouldn't wear them.

I have an old biker acquantance who has been railing at me for years about my being "a Democrat". While he admits that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were a mistake, have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and may well be nightmares that we will never be able to extract ourselves from without even more terrible consequences, he casually brushes these facts aside and insists that I am "un-American" if I do not abandon the Democratic Party, become a Republican and support GW and Cheney. I have reminded over and over that I have never been a Democrat, am not a Democrat now nor will I ever be a Democrat (he knows this), but his ravings go on..and on..and on.

My old granny used to say, "It is easy to completely ignore logic if you have a strong enough opinion".

I pushed her off her walker while she was not wearing a helmet, rest her soul.

While I do sometimes ride without a helmet, I now wear a carton to protect my eggs...

It's only logical.

[present]

The best ones I saw was from the brand "Index", a cheaper version of the Japanese brand "Shoei". The price for a full face helmet in Chiang Mai was about 800- 900 baht. My Shoei helmet costs around 15000 baht in Belgium.So,it is clear that there must be a difference in quality.When coming to Chiang Mai next winter, I will bring my own helmet instead of using one from there.

The motorsi guys force me to wear a helmet every time I ride with them. I have noticed that the helmets are old and doesn't look impressive enough to protect my head during accidents. More often than not, I do not wear those helmets, but carry them instead. Why wear it if not for protection?

[present]

Yes indeed,safety doesn't seem to matter in Thailand.Most ride their bikes without helmet, but even without decent shoes or jacketts. The speeds are not as high as in Belgium or any other European country, but they take unbelievable risks.Traffic lights for example are mostly denied in Chiang Mai and even as a pedestrian you have to be really carefull,even when the trafficlight is green for you. Yes

This topic has certainly come up before and usually results in many people slamming one-another for their varying opinions with little to nothing relating to studies or facts.

Try reading

Brainbucket stats

.

IMHO, most of the feeble helmets offered cheaply here are next to useless and even more of a danger to you if you feel more confident and safe while wearing one. When I wear a helmet, I wear a very light one that is a thin stainless steel shell with leather covering and I bought it here in Chiang Mai.

A comment about brains being spattered over two lanes sounds to me like a crush injury (as are many motorcycle accidents) and I don't think that even my stainless steel one would protect my head if it is run over by a heavy vehicle. But I like the comment about falling off a motorbike with no forward speed and have a comment:

A week ago I was walking home from a friends house (sober), in the dark, and was bending over to pet a friendly neighbor dog while still walking. I didn't even see the larger male dog coming, who aggressively planted himself in front of my legs, and I pitched over him so quickly that I didn't even have time to get my hands up or roll out of it. Yup, face-first, right into the pavement. The impact slightly cracked my skull at my left eyebrow and gave me a lttle road-rash as well. You should see the glorious black eye I am still sporting!

Yes, a helmet would have offered protection but I am not about to begin advocating helmets for walkers or people who pet dogs. Or for people sitting on something that is going at "zero speed".

Better quality and heavier helmets do give more protection for your head but they snap necks with equal or more frequency and your risk is the same for a fatality as without any helmet at all. Read the stats. Makers of automobiles for professional racing circuits are now required to install helmet restraints because helmets kill drivers. Helmet restraints are not possible on a bike and it is impossible to deny that motorcylists are being killed by their helmets - at an alarming rate. I know that this would be unusual in the corporate world but I think you can bet that the high-end motorcycle helmet manufacturers are more interested in marketing, and lobbying for helmet laws, than they are in your safety.

This is an emotional issue and I am not surprised that many people are willing to make degrading remarks about others but it makes it seem that they are more interested in their opinions and personal experiences than facts.

Bummer. Common sense and education save far more lives than strong opinions...

There's more in

A previous Chiang Mai discussion

.

Good luck.

Is it 20000 deaths a year on Mopeds in Thailand now???Helmets work but are a pain to keep putting on and off. I have driven bikes for more than 20 years from 100cc to 1100cc. Uk bike deaths are a fraction of this. Thailands roads are nothing more than death traps. If I went on a bike here it would be full leathers with reinforced back elbow and leg protection, full face helmet and gloves too.

Thais obviously place almost zero value on their lives, least it seems that way when Im out on the roads here.

[PeaceBlondie]

There is virtually no scientific evidence that helmets cause deaths. There is a huge volume of good scientific evidence that helmets save lives. There are exceptions to everything, including this statement, and I'm often mistaken. Of course, if you slam into a big solid object at over 150 kilometers per hour on a bike, you are very likely to die from several causes. Trauma research shows that whilst the human body can often survive a nearly lethal single injury, a multiple injury overwhelms the body's resources and you die.

I read motorcycle magazines with helmet research data for decades, and never heard of the neck problem with helmets. Is this some weirdo variation of the whiplash theory, largely unproven? Generally, the more protection you have, the more protected you are. Even Sasapacha in prathom five understands that if you smash into an oncoming huge truck wearing nothing but your underwear at 100 kph, you're probably going to die.

Wear the best helmet you can find and afford. I brought my original Nolan from home, and the ones here are apparently good copies. If you can buy a 15,000 showy helmet, go for it.

[Dustoff]

There is virtually no scientific evidence that helmets cause deaths. There is a huge volume of good scientific evidence that helmets save lives. There are exceptions to everything, including this statement, and I'm often mistaken. Of course, if you slam into a big solid object at over 150 kilometers per hour on a bike, you are very likely to die from several causes. Trauma research shows that whilst the human body can often survive a nearly lethal single injury, a multiple injury overwhelms the body's resources and you die.

I read motorcycle magazines with helmet research data for decades, and never heard of the neck problem with helmets. Is this some weirdo variation of the whiplash theory, largely unproven? Generally, the more protection you have, the more protected you are. Even Sasapacha in prathom five understands that if you smash into an oncoming huge truck wearing nothing but your underwear at 100 kph, you're probably going to die.

Wear the best helmet you can find and afford. I brought my original Nolan from home, and the ones here are apparently good copies. If you can buy a 15,000 showy helmet, go for it.

An excellent response, PB but I think that it is a bit unfair to state that "there is virtually no scientific evidence that helmets cause deaths" or to imply that this is "some weirdo variation of the whiplash theory, largely unproven".

I guess that if you take your 'lack of evidence' from sports magazines who are understandably promoting the sport of motorcycling (not to mention supporting their helmet advertisers) and what they present, you could certainly have this view.

I wish that I could say that the evidence I linked to was invented by me (I should be so creative) but it really did come from the Maryland Department of Transportation, Motorcycle Industry Council, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Motor Vehicles, Florida Department of Motorcycle Safety, New York Department of Motor Vehicles, et al..

Sometimes, when we do not find, or are reluctant to search for, evidence contrary to our opinions, we have to depend on pure logic or the rules of simple physics, i.e., secure a heavy weight to your head and engage in an activity that violently propels your head in various directions and the next weakest link in your spine (your neck) will suffer traumatic injury. It stands to reason, doesn't it? And is a reality whether our opinions are comfortable with it or not.

Don't get me wrong here - I am not against helmet use and have stated many times in these 'helmet forums' that I wear a helmet and have gone through the effort and expense to purchase the strongest and lightest helmet I could find. My issue is that if we think that helmets give us some kind of advantage, we, for a huge variety of reasons, are mistaken.

In fact the false sense of security we imagine from helmet use can be a real killer.

I have to admit that "the more protection you have, the more protected you are" is correct but we are talking about pleasure riding on this thread, not engaging in super-speed sport riding. That should be another thread, yes?

Huge and heavy helmets will protect our lovely face and braincage while sliding down the track, leather suits will protect our soft skin, and boots/gloves/thick elbow and knee pads will protect those precious joints when we just cannot get past that competitor ahead of us (you were also at the recent go-cart event, weren't you?)..

But is this the way that the OP wants to do a pleasure ride?

Maybe him, not me.

I drive a car in CM, knowing full well that more severe head injuries happen in automobiles than motorcycles but I choose not to wear a helmet. I fly helicopters without a helmet and it is not required in all of the aviation industry. I am a skydiver and jump without a helmet and most other skydivers I have jumped with in the U.S. wear only a leather skull-cap.

Unregulated sports filled with little more than morons who deserve to die anyway? Thanks, but I don't think so.

Statements like, "smash into an oncoming huge truck wearing nothing but your underwear at 100 kph" aside, most approved motorcycle helmets (at least in the U.S.) are rated for no more than 15mph (24km/hr) because they know something that most riders are reluctant to accept/admit - hitting a solid object at even this low speed means that your chances of survival, no matter how much protective gear you are wearing, are marginal. Ask any Emergency Room doctor and I know a lot of them.

We make our own choices in whatever we do outside of the relative protection of our own homes and I, for one, choose to live free of restrictions, fear and the wildly varying opinions of those who would judge me for doing so...

Ride safely, eh?

[Humphrey Bear]

i avoid this problem by taking a taxi and using the seatbelt.

this in conjunction with the condom i wear and keep sellotaped to the base of my modest member should keep me safe in thailand i hope.

i also buy comprehensive travel insurance in case the hotel window should fall out onto the street when i try to close it.

No taxis in Pattaya

But from your nick I suppose you're in Singers. Ahhh - the extraordinarily dirty and noisy and bluddy expensive OT

[PeaceBlondie]

We are trying to advise somebody who rides motorcycles in urban traffic in Thailand. Most of us firmly believe she should protect her head with the best helmet she can find.

[technocracy]

I have to say the helmet breaking necks thing posted here sounds very much like a piece of fiction! I mean a 'very heavy' helmet weighs in at 2Kg - 2 kilos of extra weigh is easily absorbed by the neck muscles.

Edit: Just on this subject - if helmets cause broken necks how come in all the MotoGP and GPs I've watched with lots crashes and accidents I cannot recall anyone breaking their neck. hel_l if this was true they'd go through riders quicker than most men on here go through Bar girls! The neck braces are in cars due to a sudden dead halt stop - which unless directly impacting a tree etc just doesn't happen on a bike.

People making these ludicrous 'he hit a tree at xxx mph or bus at xxx mph' and he died wearing a helmet all I can say is . . . yep if you were sitting in a car wearing a helmet with air bags at the kinds of speeds talked of here you'd probably be dead also - if not dead probably paralysed.

Helmets are there to stop you head splitting on impact of tarmac - if anyone has ever been thrown from a bike you'll know that you automatic reaction is to protect your head. Many times people die from an accident if they have broken there neck/spine on impact and people decide to try remove the helmet. But there necks/spine have broken because of impact of a solid object rather than because of their helmets.

The basic fact really is on the road is a majority people die because of a following vehicle hitting/running over the strewn motorcyclist. The other reason is mass trauma from hitting a solid object - quite often a car which has presented itself suddenly in front of the bike! If you are lucky enough to have an off where you slide or roll to safety 99.99% of the time your head will be intact and damage free with thanks to your standard approved lid.

Edited July 22, 2007 by technocracy

[mcgriffith]

Yeah, the "neck-snap" rationale sounds suspiciously like the excuse people used in the early 1960's in America to protest the new car seatbelt laws- "I'll be TRAPPED in my car when it bursts into flames and be burned alive!" Sure, some people no doubt HAVE been trapped thusly. And the other millions who's lives have been saved because they were wearing a car seatbelt, probably outnumber them a million to one.....

True, Formula 1 and NASCAR riders wear neck braces in combo with helmets now. When you hit a wall (like Dale Earnhardt) at 220 mph, the deceleration could likely snap your neck, EVEN IF NOT WEARING A HELMET, as your body is rigidly strapped down in the racecar. But as somebody noted above, a motorcycle rider crashing is an entirely different set of dynamics.

OK, just make your own decision on this issue. But I would like to remind the OP that it is the law in Thailand to wear a helmet while operating a motorcycle, even if the law is often not enforced....

Edited July 22, 2007 by mcgriffith

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

It is pretty obvious that the first, basic, function of a "helmet" in Thailand is the following: Stop being stopped by cops who demand money for "not wearing a helmet".

Let's see. One such "soup bowl" costs 90 Baht. It won't protect you in case of an accident, in fact they crack when dropped from the steering bar of a motorbike! But heck, if a cop sees you NOT wearing one, it's either 100 Baht in the cop's pocket or 200 Baht into a cop shop's cash register. Your choice

I personally wear a 900-Baht device that could be called a "helmet", it has a stable outer shell and some decent inner protection, feels almost as good as my (~6,000 Baht!) "Nolan" Helmet that i had in Germany. However it's not full face, yet it's quite ok for use in Bangkok. My bike doesn't go any faster than 150 km/h and i rarely drive faster than 110 anyway, so i feel that this is sufficient. Oh, and it's got a "clip=on" visor too for when it rains

I wear this one even on the shortest trips, as i learned in Germany - i don't even think of getting onto my bike without a helmet. First there could be a drunk pickup driver speeding out of the very next soi, and if not that, guaranteed the one time i would NOT wear the helmet, a cop would be waiting around the corner. They stop me often enough for "running a red light" even when there were no lights in the last 10 kilometers - T.I.T. Just yesterday i got a ticket for "no parking" - while i was FIXING my BROKEN DOWN bike in front of the MOTORBIKE PARTS SHOP, to where i had pushed it!!! I could've shot the bastard, would not accept a demonstration of a non-starting engine nor accepted a partly dismantled bike as sufficient to be at that place at that time (it was the $%@# wire to the kill switch which shorted!) His only words were "Here no stop", repeated a few times, stuffed the ticket behind my cockpit and away he went. ######.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[JimmyTheMook]

If you can buy a 15,000 showy helmet, go for it.

I have brought 2 of these SHOEI helmets from the states only to have them stolen from the clip under my motorcycle seat when parked.

Should have learned the first time the D ring was clipped but lugging around a full face helmet is a pain in the ass.

I buy a better Thai made helmet but they still seem pretty cheesy and doubt they would get a DOT cert. from motor vehicles back home.

[pokoal2000]

There was a small accident outside our house, last week. Car reversed out of drive and clipped old lady on the motorbike. She fell off and cracked her head on the road. Dead on the spot. Obviously-no helmet. Even the cheap crappy helmet and she still be alive today.

[highonthai]

Jeez...spending 1500 Baht on a helmet?

Don't buy anything that is not "snell approved". As far as any Thai helmets go forget it, might as well wear a plastic bowl on your head!