Question Hello. I am familar with DOT standards with helmets. But it seems that a "novelty" helmet has to provide some sort of protection. What do you think?
AnswerI doubt you know as much about the DOT standards as you think, to ask such a question. But I'll try to help.
I'm sure novelty helmets offers some level of protection, maybe from small objects (eggs, cicadas, walnuts) falling out of the sky and landing directly on the top of your head or something--IF you're not moving at 55 mph. They might also help protect your hair from getting mussed up while you sleep. But I doubt it would meet the demands of motorcycling and help cushion your skull if you smashed your head against something.
A towel on your head--or box of donuts, or big piece of Wisconsin cheese, or loaf of bread--affixed securely would probably offer more injury protection than one of those ridiculous skullcap helmets. Actually, now that I think of it, the cheese isn't a bad idea, because I'm always hungry after a day-long ride.
Imagine this: Take a new novelty helmet, and place it on a concrete sidewalk, open end up. Then take a new DOT helmet of the same style, and place it on the concrete sidewalk, open end up. You may have to have someone hold them in place for you.
Now imagine getting down on your knees. Make a tight fist, raise your hand as high as you can, and punch the inside of the helmet as hard as you can, straight down--like you're trying to put a hole in the ground beneath it as wide as your hand and a foot deep. Imagine which helmet hurts less when you do this. (I to imagine trying the DOT helmet first, because once you try the novelty helmet, you're probably going to have to go to the imagination hospital to get your broken wrist and fingers fixed.)
I wouldn't try this for real. You'll hurt yourself, I'll feel bad that you were silly enough to try it, and you'll wreck a perfectly good DOT helmet in the process.
Pat
