Full face or open face helmets...

[JohnW8]

What is your preference and why? Begin.

[rodhx]

preference: Full face with dark shield
why: I'm hiding
seriously, I don't like the feel of an open-face, which is strange 'cause when I started this a couple years ago I thought a full face would be claustrophobic.

Zac & Ben prefer the full face also (just picked one up for Zac).
why: to be "cool".
Zac originally couldn't stand to be in a full face but changed his mind. Fashion-conscious Ben just says an open helmet looks bad

[EvoLady]

agreed, full face looks cooler!

[Welacey]

Open face for ax, because of better vision and much cooler when it is hot. Full face for high speed events for safety. Back some years ago there was a discussion about functioning airbags and full face helmets and some reports of broken jaws and neck injuries.

[aufoxy]

Full face. Looks cooler. haha

[Erv]

full face as above

[bimmertech]

Full face for the versatlity. For $400+ you can always remove the shield, but you can jump from a stock car to an open cockpit to a boat, motorcycle, etc. without multiple helmets.

[chuck schultz]

functioning airbags and full face helmets

Here's the original advisory from SCCA, six years ago. I have no recollection of how this was followed up on, i.e., what is the current recommendation. -

From National Staff
November 16, 2004.

It has been brought to the attention of SCCA Technical Services that the use of full-face or closed-face helmets while driving vehicles with active airbag restraint systems may result in injuries in the event of a crash that deploys the airbad. Because of the location of the steering wheel relative to the driver's position, the airbag axis is on a level with the driver's chin. In a crash with airbag deployment, contact with the chin area of a full face helmet can be so powerful "that the risk of fractures to the jaw cannot be ruled out" (Hubert Gramling, FIA Institute, FT3?AF, 18.5.1999). This applies to vehicles that may be used in Solo, RallyCross, High Performance Car Control Clinics, etc.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that full-face helmets not be used in vehicles with functional airbag systems. Potentially more restrictive language is currently being considered for 2005, which could appear in an early 2005 issue of FasTrack. If you have any questions, please contact the SCCA at 800.770.2055.

[slowautoxr]

Full face for the same reason as Casey. I look for helmets with large eyeports.

[bmwe21]

Hybrid--- best of both worlds, for inclosed cars!

[Cholewa]

Full face for those random "Hey man, wanna take a ride on my bike" kind of days.

[engled]

Full face for those random "Hey man, wanna take a ride on my bike" kind of days.

Or even better yet "Hey, wanna drive my Caterham?"

[dsp_autocrosser]

Full faced with a dark visor - I wear contacts and have had issues in the past with them drying out on course during a run without a visor. This usually only happens on nice windy days.

The dark visor helps on the sunny days without having to squeeze sun glasses into your helmet.

[aufoxy]

OMG i have that same problem with my contacts!! i hate it when that happens!

[bimmertech]

Apparently, if you can't see the cones, you can't hit the cones.