White helmet?

[Tsotsie]

Much cooler too! Cooler as opposed to being cool!
In Texas heat and out West, that matters!

[Beamklamp]

I'll stay with white, it also makes a great background for my squashed bug collection.

[LadyDraco]

+1 on reflective stickers... I have a few on mine....
My mate has a silver helmet..

You can see how nice his sticker glows !!!

[Wuwei]

I notice other riders wearing white helmets, so it seems to work for me. I also put a lot of reflective tape on mine. Every safety study indicates that wearing a white helmet makes a significant difference in visibility. I find it hard to believe, but someone did a test of the temperature inside a white helmet vs. a black helmet in the sun, and there was hardly any difference. Still, a white helmet is a lot easier to pick up compared to a black one that has been sitting in the sun. I found this text below on another site. It supposedly originated at Helmet Harbor, which I understand is out of business now.

Helmet Temperature Testing

May 18.2005

Conditions: Outside Air Temp 90 degrees

Wind: Calm

Sunny/Clear

Pavement Temp: 123 degrees

TEST HELMET :Schuberth Concept White vs. Black

Method: Place two helmets on sidewalk 6 inches apart facing same direction in direct sunlight. Measure outer shell and interior periodically with digital infrared thermometer.

Time:______Black Helmet Temp_____White Helmet Temp

2:45PM______Outer Shell: 81.5________Outer Shell: 81.5
2:50PM______Outer Shell: 144.0_______Outer Shell: 107.0
3:00PM______Outer Shell: 154.0_______Outer Shell: 106.5
3:20PM______Outer Shell: 149.0_______Outer Shell: 108.5
3:40PM______Outer Shell: 155.0_______Outer Shell: 113.0
4:00PM______Outer Shell: 155.0_______Outer Shell: 114.0

Time:______Black Helmet Temp_____White Helmet Temp

2:45PM______Inner Shell: 90.0_________Inner Shell: 85.0
2:50PM______Inner Shell: 101.0________Inner Shell: 101.5
3:00PM______Inner Shell: 96.0_________Inner Shell: 95.5
3:20PM______Inner Shell: 108.0________Inner Shell: 108.0
3:40PM______Inner Shell: 110.0________Inner Shell: 109.5
4:00PM______Inner Shell: 111.0________Inner Shell: 110.5

Test Summary:

The black helmet measured considerably higher temperature readings on the outer shell as compared to the white helmet. As high as 47.5 degrees higher. However, the interior temperature readings were much closer. Variance was very slim and never more than 1 full degree. At times, the Black interior was slightly cooler than the white.

Conclusion:

Many customers believe that a lighter helmet makes for a cooler head. As you see above, this doesn't hold water. Granted, a darker helmet will be hotter to pick up off the seat of your bike, but once on your head the difference isn't noticeable. Also, for those out there that feel wearing a helmet is hotter than not wearing one at all, you're incorrect. The helmet, due to the insulating factors of Styrofoam, will shield your head from the sun/heat. A well vented helmet is always cooler than a naked head in direct sunlight.

[moggi1964]

Originally Posted by DaveStockwell

HiViz, White, Orange, all help. Of course, you can splash up any color with retro-reflective tape.

I like that tape but need to find a way to use it on my helmet that won't mess up the gorgeous paint scheme

Maybe I can get the reflective gold tape and have a few laurels cut out of it.

[jbhawley]

You can do alot with retro-reflective stickers if you use your imagination and get creative. White helmet for daytime visibility and reflectives for night time. Anything to make the blue-hairs, tennie-bobbers, or soccer-moms see us...
Before...





and after....





and with a camera flash

[nomiles]

White shows up better than any other color including silver and Hi-viz, especially at night.

[univibe88]

I like your sticker "art" John

[Wuwei]

I find an advantage of a white helmet is that it very quickly shows bug splatter, black streaks, and general wear so it is less of a theft magnet. I personally don't care what it looks like as long as it keeps me comfortable, provides good visibility for my eyes and those of others, and protects me if I ever crash. Not worrying about having it stolen is a bonus.

[Tsotsie]

Originally Posted by Wuwei

I notice other riders wearing white helmets, so it seems to work for me. I also put a lot of reflective tape on mine. Every safety study indicates that wearing a white helmet makes a significant difference in visibility. I find it hard to believe, but someone did a test of the temperature inside a white helmet vs. a black helmet in the sun, and there was hardly any difference. Still, a white helmet is a lot easier to pick up compared to a black one that has been sitting in the sun. I found this text below on another site. It supposedly originated at Helmet Harbor, which I understand is out of business now.

Those numbers in that list dont look right. How can the temp on the black go from 90 to 101 to 96 to 108 and the white 85 to 101.5, 95.5 to 108 etc?

Time:______Black Helmet Temp_____White Helmet Temp

2:45PM______Outer Shell: 81.5________Outer Shell: 81.5
2:50PM______Outer Shell: 144.0_______Outer Shell: 107.0
3:00PM______Outer Shell: 154.0_______Outer Shell: 106.5
3:20PM______Outer Shell: 149.0_______Outer Shell: 108.5
3:40PM______Outer Shell: 155.0_______Outer Shell: 113.0
4:00PM______Outer Shell: 155.0_______Outer Shell: 114.0

Time:______Black Helmet Temp_____White Helmet Temp

2:45PM______Inner Shell: 90.0_________Inner Shell: 85.0
2:50PM______Inner Shell: 101.0________Inner Shell: 101.5
3:00PM______Inner Shell: 96.0_________Inner Shell: 95.5
3:20PM______Inner Shell: 108.0________Inner Shell: 108.0
3:40PM______Inner Shell: 110.0________Inner Shell: 109.5
4:00PM______Inner Shell: 111.0________Inner Shell: 110.5

[squish]

Long story short... After wearing hi-viz orange helmets for 14 years, my next helmet will be a solid white one.

I work in research and one of the things I just had to do was gather studies and papers on motorcycle conspicuity.
And to summarize about 20 papers that I read... These were papers and lit reviews from the last 15 years of global first world studies that have been done on motorcycle wrecks, conspicuity and causation.

Elevated levels of conspicuity on the part of the rider may lessen their chance of a violation of right away by as much as a third.

Here's the deal from the studies that I just got done going through...

When it comes to conspicuity the biggest effect is solid blocks of color that contrast with what is surrounding them.

So a white helmet ridden where the it's a whole lot of light colored empty roads during the middle of the day. Think the outskirts of Phoenix in June)

It's not so good.

A white helmet, worn in a mixed urban environment day or night is more visible then a black or med to dark gray helmet.
And it gives up little to yellows and yellow green. Think Providence

Retroreflective tape has shown to have mixed results in a wide range of studies, the hypothesis is that the headlights need to be in pretty much a straight angle to the helmet. So the halo brand style band around the bottom is more effective then a small patch of stuff to each side or just the rear of the helmet. this is due to it's effectiveness regardless of the cars position to you.

Yellow, and lime yellow are also listed high in the daytime conspicuity studies, but their effectiveness tapers off at night.
Where white stays slightly more visible at night.

Blue, Reds, Oranges (what I've worn for years) are less noticeable in evenings and comprimised weather or environmental situations, like rain, fog, or smoke or dust and in darker background environments are not as effective as lighter colors. However in lighter back ground environments they are more effective then white or yellows.

Fluorescent colors are especially effective morning and dusk or in overcast situations. But you loose the effectiveness of the UV reactive pigments when there's no UV.

So there's no clear cut answer. But my take away was that white is the most visible helmet color in the widest range of urban and suburban environments. Day, Night, For, Dust, Dusk, in city or in the suburbs...

After looking at the studies, and after wearing hi-viz gear for 5 years and a hi-viz orange helmet for 14 years.

My next helmet will be a white one, and I will add a 1" tall band of retroreflective material around the bottom of the helmet

[ADVWannabee]

If I recall correctly, the Hurt report shows that light color helmets show a reduced accident rate for people pulling in front of you. I have a silver helmet for that reason, figuring it reflects light more. But I think I may switch to white for my next helmet.

As for reflectorization, I would think that would work pretty well. When I was in Canada last year, my buddy was in front of me at night and the reflective piping on his jacket lit up extremely well even when he was way out in front of me.

[bigsnowdog]

This is a timely topic. I am about to buy a new helmet. My current one is white, and I chose it primarily for temperature. I see Schuberth sells a hi-viz yellow, I believe it is, and have also come out with a hi-viz orange. In the past when I have researched this, white came out as highly visible. I believe that will still be my choice.

[Phil Y]

Solo LEOs wear white helmets here so white is definitely the most "visible." Neon greens and yellows are becoming common among road crews,maintenance workers, etc., which, I believe, detracts from the "seeability" for most cagers. I don't mind being mistaken for a cycle cop, even if only for a moment.

[fishwich]

I wear a plain white Shoei RF1000 because it was a LOT cheaper than the others. At least $75. Riders out here want snakes, skulls and flaming Virgin Marys on their lid.