Remember kids... always wear a helmet. (The almighty bikeradar helmet thread)

Ive read research papers which said that bicycle helmets should be much harder and have some penetration protection. Some sort of compromise that helmets are the way they are. If I wore a helmet (I do sometimes actually) it would have to be hardshell/skid lid type. I can only imagine soft road helmets disintegrating when your head is sliding across the concrete or when your head gets stabbed by part of your bike.

Isn't that how they dissipate the energy from the impact tho, by breaking, much like a cars crumple zone, or are they supposed to spread the impact from a small surface area (impact point) to larger surface area. OR, is the polystyrene supposed to compress to absorb the impact. Sod it, I'm gonna look it up.

Incidentally, I had a fairly big spill just before easter this year whilst wearing a helmet. I landed right on my nose and forehead, helmet didn't have a scratch, my face had 35 stitches and mad swelling so if you are gonna wear a helmet try and crash properly.