Car helmet for motorsport

For most competitions, at high speeds such as cars, motorcycles or other types of transport such as the presence of a helmet is one of the main and indispensable part of a pilot's complete equipment. The most basic and important task of the helmet is to protect the pilot's head. A person's head is the most important organ because his safety comes first. In the production of helmets there are mandatory rules and regulations for their manufacture and manufacturers must comply with these requirements without fail.

Each helmet has an homologation number, which means that this helmet has been tested, fulfilled all the standards and is ready for use on the races. Each type of competition has its own requirements and standards for helmets. For example, in Formula 1 competitions, you cannot use a helmet for circuit racing competitions as there are other norms and requirements. Further in our article we will tell you in detail about the structure of a car helmet, about the types of car helmets, about the features of car helmets, how helmets for auto racing and motorcycle racing differ, and about the best helmets for motorsport.

The structure of a car helmet

A big peak in the development of the structure of a car helmet begins when a person was able to conquer space and the development of technology related to space began. A lot of technologies and knowledge gained from space activities began to be applied in ordinary earthly life. Initially, the helmets had very little protection for the pilot and safety was at a low level as they were made of leather with small plastic inserts. But what has remained to our times is the multi-layer of the helmet itself.

 Modern helmets have three main layers. The first of them is external, it performs almost the basic safety of the pilot. It is made as strong as possible from high-quality polymers and materials, performs the function of protecting the pilot from external factors and serves as a frame for which the second layer is attached. A mixture of carbon fiber and fiberglass is the most common material for the exterior. Previously, Kevlar was also used, which makes the helmet as safe as possible due to its strength. But as it is quite heavy and on long races, the pilots become very uncomfortable. Well, just pure carbon is very expensive and does not justify its price. 

However, all-carbon helmets can still be found on the market. They are as practical as possible due to their low weight. Basically, this type of helmets are used in Formula 1 races, where all the small details are important, especially the weight of the helmet. The approximate cost of one carbon helmet is about 6000 euros. If we consider cheaper helmets, then a lot of attention is paid to safety. Density and thickness decreases with the number of layers. Here the laws of physics already play a role, namely the law of energy absorption during motion. With a strong impact at high speed, the force is not evenly distributed, but with a decline. So the largest blow goes to the front layer, and then the force decreases to almost a minimum. But even such a technology would not help the pilot completely avoid the consequences of a severe accident. 

Therefore, the second layer is attached to the outer layer, which plays the role of softening and adaptive deformation. The thickness of the second layer is 50-60 mm. Whereas the outer layer is only 4-6 mm. And there is the last third layer, which is as close as possible to the rider. The base is made from a chemical fiber called nomex. The main task of the third layer in an accident or other situations where ignition is possible is to prevent the fire from harming the face and to ensure the pilot's hyena. This material is excellent at absorbing sweat and is fire resistant. 

Open and closed helmets for motorsport

In auto racing, the types of helmets are divided according to their main features into open and closed. The first type of helmet does not have a chin arch and is mainly used in rally competitions, where the pilot sits in a closed car and has maximum protection from the body side. But the helmet itself is made of high quality and reliable materials. 

Closed has many more useful functions and features. This helmet has built-in protection for the lower part of the face making it practically immobile when moving, completely covers the head and neck, protects against headwinds and other things that may occur on the pilot's trek. Closed helmets are used in Formula competitions, in karting, in rallies, where a large flow of air is directed at the pilot and protection is needed.

 There are also new modifications to these helmets. They are used in touring car racing, where a visor is used instead of an adjustable visor. To improve aerodynamics, the main advantages of a closed helmet are high safety, improved aerodynamics and good sound insulation. The disadvantages include heavy weight when compared with open-type helmets and lack of ventilation if there is no visor. But they can also install special valves that drive the air flow into the helmet and out. The main advantages of an open helmet are low weight, low cost, good and large visibility and excellent airflow. The downsides are: a small degree of protection, no chin rest and cannot be used on oncoming air flows.

Features of car helmets

Films are a good addition to the helmet. They are glued to glass to protect against dirt and are abrasive. Several films can be glued, and when there is a lot of dirt on the outer layer and the visibility is small, the pilot can simply tear off the upper film and continue his ride with new and good visibility. Films are often used when the weather is rainy or has other bad factors. But even in dry weather, films are often used to increase the life of the glass itself. Films can also be internal. Their main task is to combat glass fogging. But some models of helmets have just two glasses, which is quite enough to fight this problem. Also good ventilation prevents fogging. 

Most models provide the pilot with the opportunity to choose the degree of ventilation inside, using the adjustable openings, closing or opening, respectively. Closed helmets are also used in body classes. In rally helmets there is a communication device for communication between the pilot and his team in the pits. Crosshead helmets provide maximum chin protection. A visor over the cutout protects from the sun's rays. When designing helmets, they also try to pay maximum attention to comfort inside. The individual design elements can be easily changed and modified, which makes the helmet highly mobile in use. Since this directly affects the state of the racer and how he will behave in the race. The inner pads can be modified and matched individually for each of the riders. The higher the class and the high cost of the helmet, the more modifications it has.

The best helmets for motorsport

The list of the best helmets includes the following companies:

1) Sparco

2)    Bell

3) OMP

4) Style

5) Arai

6) Simpson

7)    Race Safety Accessories

How racing helmets and moto helmets differ

The main difference is the overall visual component, a significantly smaller view, but there are mirrors and different ventilation for auto racing. Also, the helmet is designed for a couple of shocks or accidents, after which it will become unusable. And here it doesn't matter what kind of helmet it is, expensive or cheap, or what degree of safety it has. Auto helmet in this regard is much more reliable and stronger. The level of quality of materials and the design itself are ahead of their opponent. The internal construction and design of helmets are also different. In car helmets, you can often find mounts for communication. Which also adds mobility and ease of use.

Questions and answers:

What is the difference between a motorcycle helmet and a go-kart helmet? 1) the helmet has a larger view (in karting this is not required because of the mirrors); 2) ventilation is different; 3) a car helmet can have a hole for a drinker; 4) the helmet withstands 1-2 strong impacts and then sliding, the helmet is designed for many impacts on the roll cage.

How to choose a go-kart helmet? Such a helmet should be durable, protect against penetrating wounds (frame parts can sink into the head), have decent ventilation and aerodynamics.