You never know when death comes after you, you cannot always protect yourself. But the desire to live long and safely makes many people think of their safety in very different situations. For example, motorcycle riders just ride the motorcycle with a helmet and get into a small arms fire between two groups of people.
You may wonder how to protect yourself in a situation like this one and stop bullets, but particularly can a motorcycle helmet stop bullets and protect you?
If you desire to know the answer to this: “Can a motorcycle helmet stop a bullet?”, if you desire to defend yourself at maximum level, if you want the helmet to stop bullets, then read this article.
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Can a motorcycle helmet stop a bullet: the quick review
It is not difficult to answer. Unfortunately, most motorcycle helmets cannot stop a bullet, it is very uncommon, so they cannot provide you with protection in such situations, for instance, if you are in some kind of military conflict, like if you took part in World War II. It is a short answer.
We can talk about it in detail. You will see why the answer to the question: “Can a motorcycle helmet stop a bullet?” is it can not.
What is a helmet designed for? Can a motorcycle helmet stop a bullet?
This is the general information about motorcycle helmets below. What do you require it for? How are motorcycle helmets constructed? Is it a good protection for you at all?
What are motorcycle helmets created for?
Generally, motorcycle helmets are made the way to defend the head from any possible head injury during a crash or any other critical situation on the road.
When a car punches the motorcycle, and you cannot hold it anymore, it is crucial to protect the head because a strong punch can crush it in seconds.
If you ride a motorcycle and get into a road accident, motorcycle helmets are a good defense for the head and therefore, your life.
What are the motorcycle helmets made of?
The motorcycle helmets are constructed from several general materials that were chosen specifically for protecting the head from any physical impact of a car accident.
The materials are carbon fiber, fiberglass, and plastics, they are used in the shell from the outer side of the motorcycle helmets.
And another component is the foam padding inside the helmet, which is the soft protection for the head when there is a crush or any other road accident.
Each one of the materials is good for the defense of the head from any type of bullet. That is why you can not use it at war or in any other situation with gunfire. The bullet easily gets into the helmet, right into the head.
Motorcycle helmets definitely can not withstand the heavy penetration potential of the bullet with its high speed of it.
The bulletproof motorcycle helmets may not be for you
The hard truth is, even if you are very paranoid about injury from the bullet, a helmet bulletproof can be uncomfortable for you and remove any joy of motorcycle riding. And here is why.
Bulletproof helmets are created from materials that are difficult to wear.
The usual materials for bulletproof helmets are Kevlar or steel, they are usual components.
Steel can stop a bullet, and it protects you from any bullet, but the issue is it may be very hard for you to wear it because the helmet weight in this situation is not small.
Wearing a helmet like that may raise the risks of getting some kind of head injury and tiredness on the shoulders and the neck.
By the way, we should not forget that besides all of this, it may cost you a fortune. No doubt, the cost of the motorcycle helmets bulletproof can be definitely high. So, the issue with this motorcycle helmet bulletproof is whether you can afford it.
So, this is general information about the bulletproof helmet. Now we can take a quick look at various types of bulletproof helmets. This information is especially helpful for those who are still eager to have a bulletproof helmet for motorcycling.
Bulletproof helmets: various classes
There are not many variants of bulletproof helmets, there are only several of them, and it is crucial to take a look at each one. Therefore, we can say that there are the MICH helmets, the FAST helmets, and the PASGT helmets.
The MICH helmet
The Modular Integrated Communications or the MICH ballistic helmet is a quite light-weighted and relatively comfortable ballistic helmet to defend the head from any bullet or blunt force trauma. If you live in a dangerous area, you can be sure, that the helmet can defend you from bullets.
The FAST helmet
The Future Assault Shell Technology helmet or the FAST helmet has a weight that is even lighter than the weight of the MICH bullet-proof helmets. The special thing about the helmet is that the FAST helmet protects the back side of the head, specifically, the occipital bone.
It doesn’t reduce the protection of other sides and parts of the neck.
The ear is also left open there, in the helmet, and this is one of the benefits of the FAST helmet to consider if you get to choose one of the three types of ballistic helmets to get and defend yourself.
The PASGT helmet
The Personnel Armor System for Ground troops or the PASGT helmet is a military helmet, an old type of ballistic helmet, and has a big weight. And it protects you from the gunfire.
Each one of the helmets that are mentioned is a ballistic helmet. They can defend you from the weapon bullet, which is why they are created, but they may not protect you in a road accident and a crush accident.
The ballistic material that is used in the helmets is different from those that are used for regular motorcycle helmets. By the way, the weight is much higher.
This is why it is not recommended at all to use and wear ballistic helmets for motorcycling. It is uncomfortable and does not defend you in the most common road accidents.
Can you construct bulletproof motorcycle helmets?
This is another important question that we should discuss since it is also the object of curiosity for many people.
The quick answer is that it is relatively possible to make but it may cost you a lot due to the cost of components that you are required to apply to construct a bulletproof helmet.
Motorcycle helmet bulletproof: what to use
So, the components that you can apply are a thermoplastic polyurethane anti-ballistic layer and a carbon fiber shell. The components can help you to make a motorcycle helmet bulletproof.
The thermoplastic polyurethane anti-ballistic layer or aramid is a system that consists of thermoplastic polyurethane film and a woven biaxial weave of aramid.
If you use it against bullets, the helmet may be bulletproof and comfortable to wear since it has lightweight. This material in the helmets provides you with very high impact resistance.
So, if you desire to create a bulletproof helmet, then you can buy this matter and apply it to the helmet.
The level of defense may be relatively high.
The carbon fiber shell is also a good stuff to apply if you want to make a bulletproof motorcycle helmet. Carbon fiber is a durable component with the benefits of withstanding high-temperature conditions.
The level of defense of the bulletproof helmet may be raised if you apply carbon fiber to it, but it is still not as good as the protection of ballistic helmets that the military forces usually use.
So, these are two components that you can use to improve the bulletproof helmet and provide yourself with outstanding bulletproof protection.
You get to choose what you like the most and try to use it. Any of the two materials are not cheap, as well as any military ballistic helmet, so you get to decide if you really want such protection. If you are in a very dangerous area, then you certainly may need some proper protection.
Frequently asked questions
Is a motorcycle helmet bulletproof?
No, the helmet is not bulletproof. The helmet is created for protection from head injuries in the situation of a crush or any other car accident. And definitely not from a bullet of any type. So, you should not hope that the helmet can defend you from gunfire.
Can a helmet stop a bullet?
If you do not wear a motorcycle helmet, but a ballistic helmet or other military helmets that are used by the military forces, then the answer is yes, it can stop a bullet; you will be protected from bullets using those helmets.
Can a helmet stop a 9 mm bullet?
Yes, a ballistic or other military helmet cab stop a bullet of 9 mm. For example, this bullet can be withstood by such helmets as the PASGT helmet, the MICH helmet, and the FAST helmet. Wearing any of these ballistic helmets provides you with proper protection from bullets.
Do motorcycle helmets prevent death?
This question is rather complicated. If you use the helmet as protection from an injury in car accidents, then it definitely may prevent death. But if you use a helmet as protection from bullets, then the answer is no, the helmet provides you with no protection from bullets and therefore, it can not prevent death at all.
In conclusion: can a motorcycle helmet stop any bullet?
We came to the conclusion, and the answer to the question is certainly no unless you make your bulletproof helmet. Any regular motorcycle helmet that you can easily buy in the store is designed only for one purpose: to defend the head in case of a crash.
The materials that are used in these helmets are made specifically for this purpose. So, you can not use the helmet against the bullets because they are not bulletproof and provide you with no protection from them.
If you want proper protection from bullets, you should buy special ballistic helmets or even Kevlar helmets, but they will not be comfortable for motorcycle riding, it will be difficult to wear helmets (and wear body armor at all, like a metal jacket), and may not protect you from any road accident. You should choose what suits you best.
If you need to read about can you make a motorcycle helmet bulletproof, please read our article.
