It's not so much a matter of bad and good, as relevant and irrelevant. DOT is fairly irrelevant for the most part unless you're wearing a helmet to protect yourself from a falling anvil in a controlled environment. You can't really compare MX/SX accidents because there is a lot of weight behind the bike. They have some pretty catastrophic accidents at low speed. IMO it's more important to look at individual helmet design and construction and use some common sense. Some things to consider: many companies use the same helmet manufacturer. In MX, O'neal and ONE Ind have typically been made by KBC. And they're not the only brands. Look at companies whose origins ARE helmet manufacture and design. These are the guys who do the R and D. Also, most of the better helmets will use a multi-block foam design to assist with getting the right amount of shock absorption depending on the area of the head/helmet and likely type of impact. It's basically styrene with bigger and smaller bubbles to create different densities. It's not new, AGV have used it in their road helmets for a long time. So in a nutshell: Brain injury is caused by your brain impacting against your skull. Shock absorption is the answer. Therefore get a helmet with quality construction, a multi-block/density design and a strong but fairly soft shell. Composites like fiberglass/kevlar/carbon have proven effective. And don't forget correct fit. Fit is key.

:P

This article made me want to hit things. It is inaccurate and misleading. There is no place in this discussion for any sort of reference to Road Motorcycle accidents or helmets. There are significant differences between road and off-road motorcycle construction and design. As for standards like Snell and DOT; Snell is irrelevant as it relates to car accidents and should never have been employed for bike accidents of any kind. And DOT; similar testing is used for the mandatory Aus/NZ safety standards and it does not guarantee a safe helmet. Don't underestimate motorcycle helmet designers understanding of the importance of shock absorption. Many helmet manufacturers do not bother with either the DOT or Snell standards. I would still take a quality MX helmet over a poor DH full face any day. This article only captures a small (and poorly presented) fragment of the whole picture.

Nooo don't be scared :( I used to get mistaken for a guy all the time when I was a kid. It's was so unfair.

Are you sure it's not a chick? Looks to be wearing tights....

That was boring. When do you fall off?

Hey, you have some really great pics. Keep it up =]

This is the guy who made the film, and conducted the interview with Nathan. Long time friend and mountain biker Petri. He's been on the scene since bike couriers and parachute pants! Check his films, he's done some great stuff and doesn't give himself nearly enough credit for it =]] http://vimeo.com/27811904