RESEARCH FOCUS
What Makes Helmets Work
HSP organizes its work around the three fundamental questions that determine whether motorcycle helmets actually protect riders: adoption, quality, and correct use.
The studies and reports below are not conducted by HSP. They represent published research from independent institutions and organizations that we have gathered to support awareness and inform the conversation around motorcycle helmet safety.
HELMET ADOPTION
Understanding the behavioral, regulatory, and cultural factors that determine whether riders choose to wear helmets.
MAIDS — Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study
ACEM / European Commission · 2009
The most comprehensive in-depth investigation of powered two-wheeler accidents in Europe, analyzing 921 cases across 2,000 variables including helmet use patterns.
White Paper: Detailed Findings on Motorcycle Helmet Safety
Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety · 2025
Examines why non-standard helmets remain prevalent globally, combining desk research, expert consultations, and community interviews across five countries.
HELMET FIT & FASTENING
Examining how helmets are actually worn, and whether they stay on when it matters most.
Helmet Retention System Types as a Risk Factor to Properly Attach the Chin Strap
Freitas et al. — Traffic Injury Prevention · 2018
Observed 3,050 motorcyclists in Brazil, finding only 59% properly fastened their helmets. The type of retention system was the most important factor in improper fastening.
Effectiveness of Different Types of Motorcycle Helmets and Effects of Their Improper Use on Head Injuries
Yu et al. — International Journal of Epidemiology · 2011
Found that loosely fastened helmets doubled the risk of brain injury, and half-coverage helmets provided the least protection compared to full-face helmets.
Motorcycle Helmet Fixation Status Is More Crucial Than Helmet Type in Providing Protection
Ramli & Oxley — Injury · 2016
Riders whose helmets ejected during a crash were 5x more likely to sustain head injury. Concluded that whether a helmet stays on matters more than helmet type.
Motorcycle Helmet Safety and Injury Prevention Analysis
ITARDA, Japan
Examined 280 accident cases finding the risk of head injury approximately doubles when a helmet falls off, with half-type helmets particularly vulnerable to displacement.
Government Urged to Investigate Why Motorcyclists Are Losing Helmets in Crashes
Yorkshire Post · 2023
A UK coroner warned that more motorcyclists may die unless the government investigates why helmets are coming off during collisions.
HELMET QUALITY & STANDARDS
Investigating the gap between helmet certification and real-world safety performance across crash scenarios.
COST 327: Motorcycle Safety Helmets — Final Report
European COST Action · 2001
A major pan-European research program that concluded improved helmets could reduce 20% of the most severe head injuries to lower severity levels, proposing new test methodologies.
Motorcyclists' Helmets and Visors: Test Methods and New Technologies
UK Department for Transport / TRL · 2007
Developed improved helmet test methods and proposed a consumer rating scheme, estimating up to 100 lives per year could be saved if all riders wore the best-performing helmets.
Motorcycle Helmets: Test and Assessment Protocol Prove Out
UK Department for Transport / TRL · 2007
A validation study testing five helmet models through impact tests to verify the SHARP consumer rating protocols, finding large performance variation between helmets.
SHARP: A Study of Its Effect on the UK Motorcycle Helmet Market
UK Department for Transport / TRL · 2015
Found that 90% of consumers aware of SHARP considered the star rating important in purchasing decisions, but 40% of consumers were unaware of the scheme entirely.
Motorcycle Helmet Effect on a Per Crash Basis in the Thailand and Hurt Studies
Motorcycle Safety Foundation
Analyzes helmet effectiveness on a per-crash basis using data from two landmark studies: the Thailand motorcycle crash study and the Hurt Report.