SAFETY HELMETS SIR,—Your correspondent (December 20) refers to the frequent
inquests on dead motor-cyclists who have been wearing light types of helmet which are thought to have given inadequate protection. This view, which is shared by some coroners, is based on a misconcep- tion of what a motor-cyclist's helmet should be. Thus, even a steel casing is of little advantage, for it is the design of the cushioning that matters. The chief pur- pose of the surface layer is to keep out the rain, and to provide a surface which will allow the rider's head to skid on the road surface if it strikes at an angle.
Wearing a helmet does not of course make motor- cycling safe. Dr. Slater (December 13) refers to motor-cycles as lethal weapons, and this is so true of the modern high-powered machines that their manu- facture for use on our crowded roads has become quite incongruous, and much to be deplored.—Yours faithfully,
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