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Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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Why Full Face Helmets Are Bad For Snow Skiing
While safety gear is essential to snow skiing, there has been a significant debate regarding using full-face helmets. The question arises, “Why Are Full-Face Helmets Bad For Snow Skiing?”
- Limited Peripheral Vision: Full-face helmets limit peripheral vision, which is crucial for safety.
- Impaired Hearing: Hearing impairment due to covered ears affects awareness.
- Restricted Ventilation: Inadequate ventilation leads to discomfort and overheating.
- Communication Difficulty: Hinders communication with other skiers, impacting experience.
- Weight Issues: Heavy helmets cause neck strain, affecting performance.
There is no doubt that this is a controversial area of discussion. It may be hard to agree with such a statement when we don’t have any scientific paper.
However, let’s face it – you must have thought that full-face helmets are safe due to their structure and shape as they cover your whole head.
Yes, they are okay when you are in a motorcycle or car race. They help reduce the risk of getting injured if you’re involved in a crash.
But when we talk of skiing, we are on a different page. It may do you more harm than good. That’s why I am highly discouraged when using a full-face helmet when going on a skiing trip.
Full-face helmets may exaggerate injuries if you’re unlucky enough to be involved in a skiing accident.
There are several reasons for this, which we’ll cover in this article. Before we delve deep into our topic, it’s good that we start on common ground.
Why are full-face helmets bad for skiing? The most commonly cited reason is the increased risk of spinal injury if a fall occurs.
Full-face helmets have the potential to dig into the snow during a fall, which can pull your head forward or backward, causing spinal injuries.
Helmets are still recommended for skiing, but it’s essential to choose an appropriate helmet made for the purpose.
How a Helmet Works
The primary purpose of a helmet is to reduce the impact of a collision on the head. It works in three ways: it reduces the skull’s deceleration, prevents brain movement, which is the primary cause of brain damage, and it protects the brain from injury.
Also, the helmet acts as a sharing beam. When you have an accident, the forces spread to a larger area. Focusing the force on one area may cause extreme fractures in the brain.
Lastly, helmets act as a mechanical barrier between debris or any object that might hit the head in case of an accident.
Importance of Wearing Helmets When Skiing
You have heard safety authorities blurting everywhere that you need to wear helmets when riding a bicycle,
motorcycle, or skiing. Have you ever taken a moment to think about why it’s imperative?
Well, did you know that helmets reduce head injuries by 70%? It would not be wrong to say that wearing a helmet saves a life. This is the main reason why the number of people using helmets shot from 25% to over 70% in the previous ten years.
The numbers are increasing yearly since many know the helmet’s benefits.
The figures do not mean that the number of accidents has declined. However, there has been a significant control of the severity of head injuries. Apart from that, Helmets assists in the following;
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Blocking the sun’s rays:
As a novice skier, you may think that a helmet has a mission of ensuring you fall. The goggles seem dark, and you may feel that you won’t be able to see them. However, the shade doesn’t do you more harm but good. It protects your eyes from the direct sun rays and the snow.
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Keeping you Warm
According to doctors, heat escapes your head when you are out in the cold, especially in winter. Ski helmets act as heat repellant, and no heat can escape through them. So, in the end, you still maintain your warmth.
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Protecting your Eyes
It’s detrimental when the snow gets into your eyes. They are itchy, and it may take a while before you are completely healed. The helmet, therefore, holds goggles to protect your eyes from a great deal.
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Being a role model
People around you watch your steps keenly, whether you are a novice or an expert. Most of them are children who must know that wearing a helmet when skiing is required. Don’t smash their trust in you by skiing with your bear heads.
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Add some Flare
Add stickers or paint it with your favorite colors to make your helmet memorable and unique in the snow hills.
Smashed Face or Broken Backbone
Which one would you instead choose to have in case of an accident? None of the two, of course. However, things happen, and either one might happen.
Crashing is common when skiing. Not all make it out of it safe and sound, and the helmets are what determine the outcomes.
There are numerous kinds of helmets for skiing, and there are things you should know before you settle on any — for instance, the in-mold construction, fit adjuster, or goggle security. A full-face helmet has all the above, but why is it still dangerous?
Here are three scenarios that impact full-face helmets.
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Higher chances of spinal injuries
Full-face helmets have a higher chance of causing spinal injuries. If you fall, especially to your front, the helmet can dig into the snow, pulling your head forward or backward and potentially causing severe spinal injuries.
The risk is increased if you’re traveling at speed and can turn what could have been a nasty fall into a life-threatening injury.
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Balance and Visibility
These helmets are extensively heavy for skiing. It’s not like when riding a motorcycle. You need to balance the bike correctly, leave everything else to gravity, and grip the tires to the road.
You control your whole body when skiing. You don’t need another extra load that wants your attention. Since you are trying to maintain two things simultaneously, it becomes dangerous, as the helmet magnifies any chance of crashing.
It increases head movements when you begin wobbling, posing great danger to the Backbone. Additionally, full-face helmets can decrease visibility on thioureas and prevent you from spotting dangers you could have otherwise avoided.
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Blows to the chin
Typical skiing helmets are free and are not enclosed. In case of an accident, they do not rip at the jaws and the chin like full-face helmets.
When a direct blow to the chin occurs, the full-face helmets act as a three-pulley system. The chin bar is the lever, and the force from the impact is the load. The effect is translated to the lower skull base, breaking it apart.
Also, the sudden movement may affect the neck, which has other disadvantages.
Full Face Helmets versus Open Face Helmets
Depending on the functionality and type of snow sport, both have advantages and disadvantages. It’s only the cons of full-face helmets and the overwhelming benefits of open-face helmets. Furthermore, they’re only applying one snow sport – snowmobiling.
Both depend on several factors, and your personal preferences are vital in narrowing down your choice. Before you settle on any, consider how long you will use one.
Do you ski for short periods or spend the whole afternoon skiing daily? Are you doing it for fun or as a professional sport? Either way, these considerations will ensure you wear the ideal helmet.
A Closer Look at Open-Face Helmets
You won’t feel more like a motorcycle race course champion in these helmets. They don’t symbolize the helmets bikers use. They are the perfect replacement for full-face helmets now that concern has been raised over their dangers.
One of its upsides compared to the full-face helmets is the recognizable low weight. You don’t have another don’t on your shoulder to balance. The feature gives the rider an easy time controlling their body even when undergoing surgery.”
Also”, the helmets” s offer perfect ventilation. It’s not easy for It’shing to cut through it. Don’t forget, you will have to look for good snow goggles, which may be the only con on the sides of your pocket.
You don’t need a full-face helmet. All in all, open-face helmets are comfortable in any condition.
Is there any good in full-face Helmets?
Well, every coin has two sides. The full-face helmet is not entirely a devil; it shines somewhere, even if it’s not on everything. It’s indeed put the effects of snow on the picture; a full-face helmet prevents any snow from entering inside.
It comes in handy when a massive avalanche is right behind you. In case it catches up, helmets may prevent suffocation. They also protect your face from strong winds.
One of the most significant downsides of full-face helmets is the crashing and the ventilation. Since the ventilation is not enough, the helmet can quickly become foggy. The lack of breathing deflectors also increases the fog.
Do People Usually Wear Helmets When Skiing?
Most skiers and snowboarders have now adopted wearing helmets on the slopes.
This trend is driven by the widespread belief that helmets can significantly enhance safety despite the absence of robust scientific evidence to support this assumption conclusively.
Nevertheless, the psychological comfort derived from wearing a helmet appears to be an essential factor in this trend, underscoring the role of perception in shaping safety behaviors in skiing and snowboarding.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to SnowboardProCamp
Summary
Understanding why full-face helmets are bad for snow skiing requires examining several key factors. One of the primary reasons is the limitation of peripheral vision.
Peripheral vision is critical to safety when skiing, as it allows for awareness of surroundings and potential hazards. Full-face helmets obstruct this field of view, increasing the risk of accidents.
Additionally, these helmets can impair hearing due to the covering of ears. This impairment can affect a skier’s awareness of their environment, further compromising safety.
Another disadvantage of full-face helmets is the restriction of ventilation. In a physically demanding activity like skiing, adequate ventilation is essential to maintain comfort and avoid overheating.
Full-face helmets, however, do not provide sufficient airflow, causing discomfort and possible overheating that can negatively impact a skier’s performance.
Another drawback of full-face helmets is communication difficulty. Effective communication with other skiers can enhance the skiing experience and promote safety.
However, full-face helmets can hinder this communication, affecting the experience and safety on the slopes.
Finally, the weight of these helmets can cause strain on the neck, which may affect a skier’s performance. The additional load can lead to fatigue, reducing efficiency and enjoyment.
Therefore, while full-face helmets may offer more comprehensive physical protection, they present several issues that make them less than ideal for snow skiing.
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