Head Pain: Brain Crisis in Collision Accidents

In daily life, cycling has become a popular way of travel and exercise. Whether it's electric bikes shuttling through city streets or bicycles and motorcycles galloping in the suburbs, riders enjoy freedom and convenience. However, the hidden dangers during cycling should not be underestimated, as frequent collision accidents pose a huge threat to the safety of riders' lives.

Imagine you are riding an electric bike and driving normally on the road when suddenly, a car ahead suddenly brakes abruptly without warning. You can't avoid it and even the person and the car collide fiercely; Or at a turning intersection, due to excessive speed, the vehicle loses control and slips; Or when riding at night and having poor visibility, hitting obstacles on the roadside... These scenes are not fictional, but tragedies that happen around us in reality. According to relevant data, there are numerous casualties caused by cycling collision accidents every year. Among these accidents, traumatic brain injury is one of the most serious consequences. The head, as the location of the most important organ in the human body, can easily cause serious injuries such as skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhage, concussion, and even endanger life if subjected to severe impacts. The brain tissue is very fragile and lacks sufficient buffering and protective structures. When subjected to external impact, the brain inside the skull will collide with the inner wall of the skull due to inertia, resulting in brain tissue contusion, tearing, and triggering a series of serious physiological reactions. These injuries not only cause immense physical pain to the injured, but may also result inirreversibleDisabilities such as cognitive impairment and limb paralysis impose a heavy burden on families and society. Faced with such a severe reality, we must attach great importance to cycling safety, and helmets are undoubtedly the key defense line to protect our brain. It is like a loyal guardian, standing up at critical moments to provide crucial protection for our heads.

Brain injury: unbearable weight

（1） Analysis of Types of Craniocerebral InjuriesAccording to different classification criteria, traumatic brain injury can be classified into different types. According to whether brain injury occurs immediately after external force is applied to the head, it can be divided into primary traumatic brain injury and secondary traumatic brain injury. Primary traumatic brain injury refers to the damage to brain tissue that occurs immediately after injury, resulting in corresponding symptoms such as concussion, cerebral contusion, diffuse axonal injury, primary brainstem injury, etc. Concussion may only cause temporary coma, dizziness, and nausea in the injured person, while brain contusion and laceration can lead to substantial damage to brain tissue and more severe symptoms. Secondary traumatic brain injury refers to the symptoms caused by external forces on brain tissue, such as cerebral hemorrhage and edema, after a period of time. With the passage of time, the formation of hematoma and the aggravation of cerebral edema can lead to a sharp increase in intracranial pressure, which in turn compresses surrounding brain tissue and causes extremely dangerous situations such as cerebral herniation. According to the degree of brain tissue damage, it can be divided into four categories: mild, moderate, severe, and extra severe. Mild traumatic brain injury is characterized by a coma lasting within 30 minutes after injury, and patients may only experience mild discomfort such as headache and dizziness. Generally, recovery is better; Within 12 hours after a medium-sized finger injury, the injured person may experience obvious symptoms such as headache and vomiting, which may be accompanied by limb dysfunction; Severe cases involve coma for more than 12 hours after injury. These patients have severe conditions, often accompanied by severe brain contusions, intracranial hematomas, etc. They may experience symptoms such as coma, hemiplegia, and aphasia, making treatment difficult and having a poor prognosis; The severe type refers to a life-threatening coma after primary traumatic brain injury, where the patient's vital signs are extremely unstable and the mortality rate is greatly increased. In addition, according to whether the brain tissue after injury is connected to the outside world, it can be divided into open traumatic brain injury and closed traumatic brain injury. Open traumatic brain injury refers to the condition where the brain tissue is connected to the outside world, resulting in scalp and skull fractures. In severe cases, brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid may overflow, which can easily lead to intracranial infections and further worsen the condition; Closed traumatic brain injury refers to the situation where the brain tissue is not connected to the outside world and there is no cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue leakage, but serious problems such as cerebral contusion, concussion, and intracranial hematoma may still exist.

（2） The severe current situation of traumatic brain injury in collision accidentsIn various collision accidents, the incidence and mortality rate of traumatic brain injury are astonishingly high. Taking electric bicycle drivers and riders as an example, according to statistics from the public security department, about 80% of the deaths caused by electric bicycle drivers and riders are due to brain injuries. In real life, many electric bicycle riders do not wear helmets or wear them incorrectly for convenience. Once a collision accident occurs, the head is directly exposed to a huge impact force, and an unprotected head cannot withstand such an impact. In some traffic accident cases, we can clearly see the terrible consequences of traumatic brain injury. A motorcycle collided with a car that suddenly changed lanes while driving at high speed. The motorcycle driver, who was not wearing a helmet, hit the side of the car heavily and fell unconscious on the spot. After being urgently sent to the hospital, he was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury and massive intracranial bleeding. Despite full rescue efforts, he unfortunately passed away due to the severity of his injuries. There is also a cyclist who accidentally fell and landed on the head while turning at the intersection. Due to not wearing a helmet, the patient suffered skull fractures and brain contusions. After a long period of treatment, although their life was saved, serious sequelae were left, and they were unable to take care of themselves, which brought a heavy burden to their family. These tragedies are all warning us that traumatic brain injury in collision accidents is not far away and can happen to anyone who does not value safety at any time.

Helmet: a sturdy defense line to protect the skull and brain

（1） Structural Analysis of Helmets

As an important protective equipment for riders' heads, helmets are intricately designed with various parts working together to provide reliable protection for the head. The outermost layer of the helmet is the shell, which is like a sturdy fortress, directly facing external impacts. The shell is usually made of hard materials such as engineering plastics, fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc. Engineering plastics have relatively low cost and good impact resistance, which can effectively resist a certain degree of external impact; The shell made of fiberglass material has higher strength and better toughness, and is less likely to break under strong impact; Carbon fiber is a commonly used material for Gao end helmets. It not only has high strength, but also is lightweight, providing more protection while reducing the burden on the wearer's head. However, it is relatively expensive. The shape design of the shell is also very particular, generally streamlined. This design not only reduces air resistance, improves riding speed and comfort, but also guides the direction of impact force during collision, making it more evenly dispersed and reducing damage to the head. Inside is the lining, which is the key part of the helmet to absorb energy. It is mainly composed of EPS foam (expandable polystyrene), EPP foam (foamed polypropylene) and other cushioning materials. EPS foam is the most common lining material at present. It is light and full of numerous small independent bubbles. These bubbles are like small springs that can quickly compress and deform when impacted, converting the impact energy into other forms of energy such as heat, effectively absorbing and dissipating energy, and reducing the impact force on the head. EPP foam has better resilience and fatigue resistance, and can still maintain good cushioning performance after multiple impacts, but the cost is relatively high. In addition to cushioning materials, the lining also includes comfortable pads, usually made of soft fabrics such as cotton, polyester, etc., which have sweat absorbing and breathable functions, making the wearer feel more comfortable. The helmet also has a strap, although it may seem like a simple strap, it plays a crucial role in securing it. The strap is usually made of high-strength materials such as nylon and fixed to the chin by means of buckles or Velcro. During the cycling process, it ensures that the helmet is securely worn on the head and will not fall off due to shaking, bumps, or collisions. If the strap is not fastened properly, in the event of an accident, the helmet will not be able to provide the necessary protection and the head will still be exposed to danger.

（2） The principle of helmet absorbing energy revealed

When a collision accident occurs during cycling, the outer shell of the helmet first comes into contact with external impact. Due to the hard material and specific shape and structure of the shell, it can distribute the impact force to the entire surface of the helmet, avoiding the impact force from concentrating on one point and causing injury to the head. Like a Dun card, it disperses powerful impact and reduces the force per unit area. For example, when the head is impacted from the front, the shell will spread the impact force outwards, making the impact force on various parts of the head relatively uniform, reducing the risk of local damage caused by excessive impact force. Then, the lining began to play a crucial role. Take EPS foam lining as an example. After the shell disperses the impact, the tiny bubbles in EPS foam will be squeezed. During the compression process, these bubbles undergo elastic deformation, converting the impact force into their own elastic potential energy, thereby absorbing and dissipating a large amount of impact energy. The process of energy conversion and absorption is like a sponge absorbing water, absorbing the impact force and greatly reducing the energy transmitted to the head. Moreover, the structure of EPS foam makes it have good cushioning performance, which can withstand huge impact force in an instant and gradually weaken it, so that the head will not directly bear all the force when being impacted, thus effectively protecting the brain from serious injury. Throughout the entire process, the helmet acts as an efficient energy absorption system through the synergistic effect of the outer shell and inner lining, dissipating the enormous energy generated by collisions layer by layer, ultimately reducing the energy transmitted to the head and providing reliable protection for the brain. This principle is like building a strong defense line between the head and danger, blocking the impact force that may cause damage to the brain.

（3） Real cases demonstrate the power of helmets

In Jianshi County, Hubei Province, there is a young man named Jiang riding a motorcycle along the Tianlong Line. Due to the high speed of the vehicle, he had difficulty controlling it while turning and crashed directly into a flower bed in a resident's house. Under the huge inertia, the person and the vehicle flew in the air for more than ten meters, and the vehicle fell heavily outside the courtyard, while Jiang collided with the legs of a table in a resident's house. Fortunately, Jiang wore a safety helmet in accordance with regulations. It is this helmet that greatly reduces the impact force on the head and avoids fatal injuries to the head. After the incident, the family sent him to the local township health center for preliminary examination and found that apart from surface abrasions and a few soft tissue injuries, there were no other serious injuries. Subsequently, Jiang was sent to a county-level hospital where doctors conducted further examinations on his head, internal organs, and other tissues, confirming that there were no major injuries and only requiring minor treatment on his right arm. Jiang himself also had lingering fears and frankly stated that it was the helmet that saved his life. In sharp contrast, there is a 42 year old Zheng from Jiangsu who rides an electric bike at night without wearing a helmet and accompanied by someone. Due to poor visibility, he collided with a large truck parked on the roadside, resulting in multiple fractures of the frontal bone, nasal bone, ethmoid bone, and eye socket, as well as a frontal epidural hematoma and brain contusion. The situation was extremely critical, and the doctor performed craniotomy to remove the epidural hematoma in the forehead and repair and reconstruct the anterior skull base. After more than ten days of treatment, Zheng was discharged from the hospital and started working normally. Zhang, 43 years old, collided with a sedan while riding an electric bike. Due to not wearing a helmet, he hit his head directly and fell into a brief coma. After being sent to the emergency department of the hospital for CT examination, it was found that there was a temporal epidural hematoma. After conservative treatment for 2 days, symptoms such as hearing loss, headache, and vomiting gradually appeared. Re examination of CT showed that bleeding was gradually increasing, and surgery could only be performed. These real cases fully demonstrate that helmets can play a huge role in critical moments. Wearing a helmet can greatly reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury in accidents and even save lives; Without wearing a helmet, once an accident occurs, one may pay a heavy price and cause irreparable pain to oneself and one's family.

Scientifically selecting helmets to enhance brain safety

（1） The certification mark is crucial

When selecting a helmet, the certification mark is an important basis for measuring its quality and safety. In China, 3C certification is a mandatory standard. This certification is implemented by the China National Certification and Accreditation Administration to ensure that products meet the quality and safety requirements set by the country. For helmets, obtaining 3C certification means that they have met national standards in material selection, structural design, impact resistance, and wearing comfort. For example, in terms of impact resistance, helmets certified by 3C must be able to withstand the specified impact force test to ensure effective protection of the head in actual collision accidents. The helmets with 3C certification have undergone strict audits by their manufacturers, and the production process is regulated, ensuring more reliable product quality. When purchasing a helmet, be sure to carefully check if there is a clear 3C certification mark. Do not purchase unverified "three no" products, otherwise in the event of an accident, the helmet may not provide the necessary protection.

（2） Consideration of Material and Structure

The material and structure of a helmet play a decisive role in its protective performance. First, let's take a look at the material of the casing. Common materials include ABS resin, carbon fiber, glass fiber, etc. ABS resin has a low cost and is widely used in mid to low end helmets. It has a certain strength and impact resistance, which can meet the basic protection needs of daily cycling, but relatively speaking, its texture is brittle and may break when subjected to high-intensity impact; Carbon fiber is a commonly used material for Gao helmets. It has high strength and is lightweight, providing excellent protection for the head and reducing the burden on the wearer's neck. However, it is expensive; The shell made of fiberglass material has good strength and toughness, and has good impact resistance, which is between ABS resin and carbon fiber. The cushion layer material of the lining is also very important. At present, EPS foam is commonly used. The EPS foam is composed of numerous small independent bubble structures. This structure makes it have good energy absorption and buffering characteristics. When it is impacted, it can quickly compress and deform, absorb and dissipate a large amount of impact energy. In addition, there are new cushioning materials such as EPP foam. EPP foam has better resilience and strong fatigue resistance. It can still maintain stable cushioning performance after multiple impacts, but its cost is high. In addition to the material, the structural integrity of the helmet cannot be ignored. Reasonable structural design can enable helmets to more effectively disperse impact forces and protect the brain during collisions. For example, the shell shape of helmets is usually designed as streamlined, which not only reduces wind resistance, but also guides the impact force to disperse in all directions when impacted, avoiding the impact force from concentrating at a certain point. Moreover, the various components of the helmet should be tightly connected and not loose, otherwise they may fall off or be damaged in the event of a collision, affecting the protective effect.

（3） Wear the helmet correctly and maximize its effectiveness

Even with high-quality helmets, if worn incorrectly, their protective effect cannot be fully utilized. When wearing a helmet, the first step is to adjust the size of the helmet to ensure a tight fit with the head. Generally speaking, the padding inside the helmet should be able to comfortably wrap around the head, without being too tight and causing discomfort, nor too loose and causing the helmet to shake during riding. The tightness of the helmet can be changed by adjusting the adjustment device at the back of the helmet. Tightening the straps is a crucial step. The strap should be tied around the chin and adjusted to the appropriate level of elasticity, so that two fingers can easily insert between the strap and the chin. If the straps are not fastened tightly, once a collision occurs, the helmet is easily detached and the head will lose protection. In some traffic accident videos, it can be seen that many riders who did not fasten their belts had their helmets fly off their heads instantly during the accident, exposing their heads directly to danger and causing serious head injuries. Also, adjust the visibility of the helmet to ensure that it does not obstruct the line of sight and affect cycling safety. Regular inspection of helmets is also necessary. Check whether the helmet is damaged or deformed, whether the straps are aged or broken, etc. Once any problems are found, the helmet should be replaced in a timely manner. Because damaged helmets have greatly reduced protective performance when impacted, they cannot provide reliable protection for the brain.

Helmet protection, safe travel

Helmet, this seemingly simple equipment, is actually an indispensable guardian of life on our journey. It builds an indestructible defense line for our brain in the event of a collision accident through exquisite structural design and scientific energy absorption principles, greatly reducing the risk of brain injury and saving countless lives.

However, in real life, there are still many people who lack awareness of the importance of helmets and choose not to wear them or wear them improperly for temporary convenience or comfort. This behavior undoubtedly exposes one's own life to great danger, and once an accident occurs, the consequences are unimaginable. Every ride is an unknown journey, and we cannot predict what will happen in the next second, but we can add a layer of safety to ourselves by wearing helmets.

Let's start from now on, pay attention to the role of helmets, and develop good habits of wearing helmets correctly. Whether it's short distance travel or long-distance cycling; Whether on the streets of the city or on the alleys of the countryside, don't forget to wear a helmet and make it a standard for our cycling. At the same time, we also hope that everyone can actively promote the importance of helmets to those around them, so that more people can understand and wear helmets, and jointly create a safe and civilized travel environment. After all, safety is no small matter. Only by starting from the beginning can we make our travel more peaceful, reassuring, and comfortable.