Although motorcycle helmets save countless lives, they can pose a challenge to emergency response personnel at accident scenes – the helmet needs to be removed, yet the patient’s head should be moved as little as possible, in case there are any spinal cord injuries.
While this sometimes results in the helmet having to be cut off, the prototype Voztec full-face helmet offers a simpler solution – with the release of one pin and two clips, the back of the helmet detaches and the front can be slid off.
Australia’s John Vozzo first came up with the idea when he was in hospital with two broken legs, which were the result of a skydiving accident. His injuries left him temporarily unable to work, so he turned his attentions to developing a rear-entry skydiving helmet. After teaming up with business partner Mark Bryant, the concept was developed into a horse-racing helmet. Now, the duo are proposing a whole line of helmets that incorporate the Voztec rear-entry system, although the current focus is on a helmet for motorcyclists.
Users put the helmet on by opening the hinged back section, sticking their head in, then tightening the ladder clips on either side. This will reportedly pull the helmet snug with their skull, while also positioning their chin firmly in its chin cup – the helmet doesn’t incorporate a traditional chin strap, which can be subject to creeping, and is one more thing for paramedics to work around.
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