Anyone wear a neck brace on the street?

Been thinkin' about neck braces. At 65 YO (riding since 1957), I've had some "bad" crashes over the years (always ATGATT, both dirt and street) but gear has served me pretty well (12 fractures, though :eek1). These days I ride mainly on the street, and (having just retired) expect to do more ADV touring in the next ten years.

Had a bicycle crash in 1972 in which I sustained a 1 mm lateral shear of C3...about as close to a broken neck as I wanna think about.

Anyway, I've seen dirt riders wear neck braces, but I rarely (like never) have seen any on the street. They exist...anyone here wear one? Or have worn one? I know wearing armor has its limits, but somehow a neck brace (as long as it's reasonably easy to deal with) seems like a good idea. I've searched briefly here, but haven't found much specific discussion (if there is a good thread, please point me there).

Any alternatives to the (fairly pricey) Leatt brace? However, $400 is similar to the cost of a helmet, and if a neck brace prevents a serious neck injury it's certainly worth the $$$.

I'd appreciate any information. Thanks in advance.

--Doc

From one Doc to another,

Neck brace? Not so much.

But an active airbag jacket (that includes an inflatable collar to control helmet movement) is likely for my upcoming riding season. Several are available- now to choose the right one.

John

Yes, but not for the reasons you are thinking.

I had a 4WD drive over my head a few years back, CT scan showed no damage, but my neck muscles were certainly tweaked and the pain just wouldn't go away.

Finally had the brilliant idea of using an MX neck collar - those are just foam and fabric intended to reduce compression impacts on landing. That took the weight of my helmet on the commute and on weekend rides. (1)

Worked brilliantly within a month the nagging pain was gone. I've only just stopped wearing it (3 years later).

1) Why did I keep riding the bike ?, because commuting by car or public transport was worse, at least the bike had decent suspension.

Pete

I wear a Leatt.
It limits the range of head movement somewhat (as designed)

Not a problem on the trail where I can hear a faster rider approach from behind .
On multilane the restriction is enough to prevent effective head checks when lane changing.

If I have to ride the slab to get where I want I'll leave the Leatt at home - sure do miss it on the trail

Have you tried one on to see how comfortable you would feel? Make sure you try it out with your helmet on in a riding position to see where it limits your head movement.

I've worn one on highway stints that linked significant amounts of off road. As Rucksta mentioned, it does stop you from doing quick head checks, which I consider critical for street riding. I use a Klim F5 helmet, and I really have to stretch my neck in order to look behind me. Doing this also causes the side of my neck to rub against the brace, so I get some chafing too. Makes for a really uncomfortable highway riding experience.

No doubt the extra support could be useful in a fall, but make sure you can deal with the restrictions so you don't increase your risk of getting into an accident in the first place.

I just started looking at air bag jackets and haven't found too many out there. Air Hit is the only one I have come across available in the US. Spidi has something promising but I have only ever seen their vests for sale here. Are there others?

Same tradeoff as all gear really.

The MX collar was a good compromise, allowed enough head movement to still do head checks.
I stopped wearing it when I got a new jacket and it wouldn't fit properly.

No idea on how effective it would have been in a crash, but reducing general wear and tear on an ageing neck it was brilliant.

Pete

Saw an airbag vest at the Long Beach Moto show that looked very interesting ..don't have the name at the moment but it was very comfortable and was well thought out and designed....in the $300 range..if interested pm me and I can find the name..bj

A few

http://www.airbagjacket.com.sg/

http://www.armoredairjackets.com/

http://impactjackets.com/index.html

I wear a Leatt all the time with my GS, even on the street. Yes neck movement is limited, but I've found that I can turn enough to be safe changing lanes. I'm going to look at their street version in the near future:

http://www.leatt-brace.com/index.php/choose-your-sport/street/leatt-stx-road

This is apparently much less restrictive while still offering up good protection.