The Effects of Wearing Helmets on Reaction of Motorcycle Riders

Abstract

In Taiwan, motorcycles are the most commonly used means of transportation and also have the highest accident rate. Because motorcycles are less stable and provide less protection than cars, motorcycle riders are vulnerable in traffic accidents. Furthermore, head trauma is often fatal, causing a great loss to society. Although helmets provide protection to the head, they also affect the visual field of motorcycle riders. However, the literature mostly focuses on the protective effect of helmets after a collision and rarely considers the influence of helmets prior to collisions. In the study design, participants wore three different types of helmet and watched a pre-recorded video of an actual street with pre-placed warning triangles at a speed of 60 km/h. Participants were asked to press a button when they saw a warning triangle. The time between participants seeing the warning triangle and arriving at the warning triangle was calculated. This time is referred to as the “early reaction time.” The number of missed presses and false presses was also recorded. The results of the study show that: (1) Of the three types of helmet, wearing half helmets produced the longest early reaction times, followed by 3/4 helmets, with full face helmets with the shortest early reaction times. (2) Early reaction times when wearing a half helmet were the same as early reaction times when not wearing a helmet. (3) The results for the total number of missed and false presses when wearing the three types of helmet were the same as for the results of the early reaction time analysis. (4) Sex and age had no effect on early reaction times. The experimental results can be used as a reference for helmet design and academic research.