Updated September 25, 2025
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this one in the lift line or at the bar after a crash: “Helmets just make injuries worse.”
Usually it’s said right after someone eats it and still ends up in ski patrol with a concussion. I get why people think that. I’ve seen riders with helmets take nasty falls and still come out beat up. But I’ve also seen what happens when someone hits their head without one, and trust me, it’s not prettier.
So do helmets actually make crashes worse, or is that just a myth that refuses to die? Let’s dig in.
What Helmets Actually Do
The research is pretty clear on one thing: helmets cut down the number of head injuries. A big Canadian study found they reduce the risk of head injury by about 35 percent. The National Ski Areas Association has pushed similar numbers for years. From my side, I’ve seen plenty of riders get up and ski away from a slam that would have cracked a skull if they weren’t wearing a lid.
What helmets don’t do is make you invincible. They’re built to absorb impact and spread out the force, but they can’t stop your brain from rattling around inside your skull. That’s why concussions still happen even with the nicest helmets money can buy.
The “More Severe Injury” Argument
Here’s where things get messy. A Dartmouth-Hitchcock study looked at serious head injuries and found helmets didn’t cut down the worst cases as much as people hoped. Another study out of trauma centers even showed helmet wearers sometimes had higher injury severity scores compared to those without. That stat gets thrown around a lot as proof that helmets are somehow dangerous.
But think about who’s wearing them. Almost everyone these days. The fastest, hardest-charging skiers and snowboarders are helmeted. Kids in park, freeriders in the trees, weekend warriors bombing groomers… they’re all wearing helmets. If those folks crash, it’s usually high speed or into something solid. That skews the numbers. It doesn’t mean the helmet caused the severity. It just means helmets can’t erase physics when you hit a tree at 30 miles an hour.
The Risk Compensation Factor
This is the part nobody likes to admit. Put a helmet on and people ride looser. I’ve watched beginners straight-line runs they had no business on because they “felt safer.” I’ve seen kids in park throw tricks way above their skill level because mom made them wear a lid. Even instructors (myself included) will sometimes push a little harder knowing the head is covered.
It’s called risk compensation. When you feel more protected, you subconsciously take on more risk. Doesn’t mean helmets are bad. It just means the mindset matters as much as the gear. If you treat a helmet like a free pass to ride dumb, you’ll probably find the limit fast.
But do studies show this happens in skiing and snowboarding? The evidence is mixed. Some research has hinted that helmet wearers ski faster or take more risks, while other studies didn’t find a clear link. The takeaway is that helmets don’t magically make people reckless, but in the real world you do see riders pushing harder once they’ve got one strapped on.
The Limits of a Helmet
Helmets do a lot but they can’t beat physics. Hit a tree at 25 miles an hour and no amount of foam is going to make that painless. Same with flat landings or ice. Helmets are designed for impact absorption, not to keep your brain from bouncing around inside your skull. That’s why concussions, brain bleeds and neck injuries still happen with a helmet on.
I’ve seen riders walk away from slams where the helmet clearly saved them from a fractured skull. I’ve also seen riders carted off with gnarly concussions in spite of wearing the best lid out there (Kevin Pearce being a prime example). It’s not a guarantee. It’s just another layer of protection.
The Limits of a Helmet
Yes. Helmets aren’t perfect but they tilt the odds in your favor. Even if they can’t stop every concussion, they absolutely cut down the risk of skull fractures and the kind of injuries that end your season fast. That’s worth it.
Not all helmets are equal though. Modern designs with MIPS or similar slip-plane tech do a better job at reducing rotational forces, which are a big part of concussions. They cost more, but this isn’t the place to cheap out. A $40 bargain bin helmet that doesn’t fit right or has been knocked around is almost useless.
Think of a helmet as part of your regular kit. Replace it after a hard hit, don’t ride one that’s ten years old, and make sure it actually fits your head snugly. A good helmet won’t make you invincible but it does give you a margin of safety when things go wrong — and that’s the whole point.
Final Thoughts
Helmets don’t make crashes worse. They also don’t make you invincible. They sit in that middle space where they prevent a lot of ugly injuries but can’t erase the laws of physics when you slam into something solid.
The “helmets cause severity” line mostly comes from how people ride once they’ve got one on and from the fact that just about everyone serious about skiing or snowboarding wears one these days.
If you care about your head (which you should dummy) wear a helmet that fits, pick one with modern tech like MIPS and replace it after big hits. Then forget about it and focus on riding smart. The helmet is there to help, not to give you a free pass to be reckless. Don’t let me catch you without one!
