If there is one thing that every motorcyclist says when you ask them why they own a bike, they will say: “There is nothing better than the wind blowing through your hairs on a hot summer evening”. What they forget to tell you is that they’ll wear a helmet that prevents the wind from touching your hair in the first place.
Some riders use an open face helmet to keep the balance of ‘freedom’ and ‘safety’ well balanced. But is this true? How safe are open face helmets? I dare to say that open face helmets are not a good choice at all. Allow me to explain why.
Are open safe helmets safe?
Open face helmets are not as safe as
full face helmets. The chin area is most likely to hit the ground on a fall, but won’t be protected with an open face helmet.
The advantages of an open face helmet
As I said, I’m not a big fan of open face helmet. They do however have quite some advantages that I should mention. This article shouldn’t be a preach to not wear them, this article is meant to inform you.
The main advantage of an open face helmet is the airflow. The helmet allows a tremendous amount of air to blow into your face. This can be comfortable on hot days and will keep you cool while riding your bike.
Another advantage, and it might sound silly, is the ability to scratch your face! Nothing bothers me more than an itchy nose whiles riding my bike. Sometimes it gets so bad that I’ll have to pull over to scratch my nose. An open face helmet will allow you to scratch your nose or face while you go.
Communication is also a pro for this type of helmet. Especially when you ride with your buddies or when you have a pillion. It’s easier to speak to each other when your mouth isn’t covered by a full face helmet.
Some gas stations will allow you to get gas without taking your open face helmet off, since your face is visible for cameras. This differs per gas station though.
And last but not least, you have a wider angle of sight. It’s easier to look around and there are less blind spots when wearing an open face helmet. This increased your safety since the chance or missing something on the way will be reduced.
The disadvantages of an open face helmet
This part of the article will point out why I think that open face helmets are not a good idea at all.
Open face helmets only protect the back and sides of your skull, but won’t protect the front. The front of your skull is the most sensitive and important part since this is where you see, smell, breath, eat and speak! And be honest.. What are the odds that you’ll fall on the top of your head? They are quite small. Hitting the front of your face to the ground is much more likely.
Studies by Icon show that only in 1.8% of crashes, the rider will hit the top of his head. The chin area, however, will hit something on 19.4% of all crashes! This means that you won’t be protected well enough with an open face helmet in 1 out of 5 crashes! That’s a HUGE safety risk people take for some minor advantages.
This video on Youtube shows why it’s so crucial to protect your face when riding a bike. I didn’t embed it, because there is road rash involved.
The advantage of a full face helmet
The biggest advantage of a full face helmet is the extra protection it will give for your face and chin area. The visors are strengthened and will prevent you from injuries in many cases.
Full face helmets are also more comfortable during rain, bug season or cold days since they protect your face from any of these circumstances.
The visor also allows you to ride your bike without any protective glasses. I use a tinted visor myself, which keeps the sharp sun out of my eyes and allows me to ride with less fatigue.
The disadvantages of a full face helmet
The full face helmet also has some minor disadvantages. First of all, it will be harder to communicate with your fellow riders or your pillion. A communication set can be helpful, but this is not always an option. I drive with all sorts of people and many of them don’t have a communication set.
A full faced helmet can also be quite hot on a hot summer day. An open face helmet would be more comfortable, but I prefer safety over comfort in this case.
Another disadvantage is the fact t
The intermediate: a modular helmet
So you want to combine the protection of a full face helmet with the advantages of an open face helmet? In that case, a modular helmet might be suited for you.
A modular helmet can be worn either open or closes, making it super versatile. A buddy of mine has one, and he is very happy about it. He will open the helmet when speaking to me or when he’s getting gas. He will also ride his bike with an open helmet when it’s super hot and we drive in the city center.
As soon as we exit the city, he just closes the helmet so that his face is fully protected again. The combination of the two is the perfect choice for him.
The cops in my country also use the modular helmet. They are fully protected in a high-speed chase, but also able to open up the helmet to speak to motorists whiles giving them a ticket.
Conclusion; lessons learned
When we keep all aspects in mind, an open face helmet isn’t as safe as a full face helmet. It offers no protection in the zones that have a high chance of impact on a crash.
Open face helmets have some pro’s, but the decreased safety makes it a no go for me.
Oh and by the way; Do not buy second hand helmets. They can save you some dollars, but they are not safe! Read my article about it here.