Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings Translating Research to Reduce Concussion Risk

By J. Harris Anderson, Managing Editor

The researchers in the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab have given new meaning to the phrase “seeing stars” when referring to the results of a bonk on the head. In fact, they’ve created two new uses for the “stars” application. One follows the now common practice of employing that symbol to rate products and services. The more stars the better. The other STAR is an acronym for “Summation of Tests for Analysis of Risk.” It works the opposite way: the lower the STAR rating the better.

When reviewing helmet ratings, it’s best to not get your stars crossed. Founded in 2011 by biomedical engineering professors Stefan Duma and Steve Rowson, the Helmet Lab began by assessing the level of concussion risk protection provided by football helmets. The research work has since been applied to several other sports, including soccer, cycling, hockey, snow sports, and whitewater sports.

Equestrian sports hold the dubious distinction of accounting for more concussions and related brain injuries than any other sport in the US—an estimated 50,000 emergency room visits annually. With an active and well-recognized riding program at Virginia Tech, it was an obvious choice to make helmets for equestrians the next category to be studied. To get that work up and running, a crowdfunding effort was launched in 2019. With help from Jacqueline Mars, the U.S. Equestrian Federation, U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, U.S. Eventing Association, and other supporters, the fund reached $425,000 by the end of 2020. The work then began and the results were published two years later in November 2022.

The first phase of the project required the researchers, mostly non-riders, from the school’s Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics Lab to get up the learning curve on falling off a horse. This entailed extensive reading about equestrian sports and hours spent analyzing over 100 videos of rider falls. From there it was off to gather field data from the places where those falls typically happen. Site selection was driven primarily by the types of surface a rider’s head might hit: e.g.; sand, hard clay, grass, and artificial footing. (Apparently, paved roads, rocks, and similar surfaces familiar to foxhunters but less likely to be traveled by the general population of riders were not evaluated.) A portable pendulum test rig and a device to measure surface hardness were used to gather measurement data, which was then used in the Helmet Lab to build the equipment required to replicate real-life situations.

The action in the lab would have made Vince and Larry proud. Remember them? They were the crash test dummies that cracked jokes while being subjected to all forms of mayhem in the old seatbelt PSAs. (Not to be confused with the Canadian band of the same name.) The equestrian helmets selected for testing were subjected to similar indignities and impacts, all in the name of scientific research. A device called a “pendulum impactor” was the key component of the specially designed equipment created under the auspices of the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science. Each helmet to be tested was fitted to a “headform” mounted on a spring-loaded sliding track. (If researchers gave a nickname to the “headform,” which resembled a disembodied descendant of Vince or Larry, our investigative efforts did not uncover that detail.) A weighted cylinder connected to a swinging arm was activated to strike the helmet. This triggered sensors inside the headform that recorded the effects of the impact. The pendulum was adjustable to strike at three different locations and two speeds designed to replicate real world falls.

While each helmet studied met the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, the lab’s results produced more detailed information. ASTM certification is based on a helmet’s ability to withstand a catastrophic, skull-fracturing impact. Rather than measuring varying levels of impact to different locations on the helmet, it’s simply fitted to a headform, which is then dropped vertically onto a steel anvil. A pass/fail grade is applied based on the helmet’s ability to withstand the level of force that would result in a skull fracture or death.

However, many riding falls (perhaps the great majority) occur at lower impact levels. To provide a more nuanced assessment of each helmet’s performance, the data were assessed according to a graph that measures the combined probability of concussion. The x-axis (horizontal) tracks linear acceleration and the y-axis (vertical) measures rotational acceleration. The greater the acceleration of one or both, the higher the likelihood that the rider wearing the helmet will suffer a concussion. This, then, translates to a quantifiable measurement, the Summation of Tests for Analysis of Risk (aka STAR rating).

A low STAR score indicates a lower average number of concussions likely to result when wearing that helmet. The inverse is then applied to the five-point star (symbol) scale. The two helmets of the 40 tested that received a five-star rating had the lowest STAR scores (The Champion Revolve X-Air MIPS, STAR rating 1.46; and The TuffRider Carbon Fiber, STAR rating 2.43).

Surprisingly, the retail price of a helmet bore no relation to its ranking in the test results. The helmet rated number one retails for $460, a price tag not unreasonable for something capable of providing so much protection for your noggin. But the one in second place goes for a paltry $58. Does the single point difference on the STAR scale justify a $400 difference? That’s for the buyer to decide.

And the same applies moving down through the rankings. The third place finisher, just 0.32 STAR points behind the Tuffrider, lists for $50. Then moving down to fourth place, a mere 0.16 point difference, the price bounces back up to $375. The most expensive helmet tested, at $669, finished ninth with four stars. Maybe some buyers might prefer its appearance over the eight higher rated helmets enough to justify shelling out that much. But you’d have to be totally gaga over the look of helmet #33 to pony up $640 in spite of its one star rating. Anything more than a light tumble onto soft ground and you may be seeing that other kind of stars—or worse.

Of course, different disciplines have different standards for the type of protective headgear suitable to that sport. You wouldn’t expect to see a skull cap in the dressage ring—at least not yet. The style lines are blurring these days as safety (and perhaps the threat of lawsuits) becomes an increasing concern. Some readers may recall the time when, as stipulated by William Wadsworth in his 1962 pamphlet Riding to Hounds in America, the only acceptable types of headwear for ladies and gentlemen in the hunt field were top hats and bowlers. Hunt caps, considered a “symbol of authority,” were reserved solely for staff and those “singled out by the MFH.” Today harnessed safety helmets, of varying styles, dominate in the hunt field. Some clubs have gone so far as to ban the types of headgear upon which Mister Wadsworth insisted. No harness, no hunting. And it’s only been in recent years that a lady riding sidesaddle—whether showing on the flat or over fences, foxhunting, or racing—would be seen wearing anything but a traditional top hat or bowler.

There may not be 40 different categories of equestrian sports, but while the lines may have blurred a bit, there are certainly enough specialty areas to suggest different helmet standards for each. It’s reasonable to assume falls on an eventing cross-country course are likely to pose a greater risk than, say, a spill while on a casual trail ride. ASTM standards don’t take those variations into account and thus neither do most manufacturers. Or, if they do, it doesn’t necessarily come

The 40 helmets were ranked according to their score on the STAR scale (the lower the better) which then related to the number of stars assigned on the five-point scale.

through in the way a given helmet is marketed. For example, the expanded foam found in some helmets is designed to crush, crumble, and break on impact. This works as intended under high-force conditions. But in a low-impact fall the padding may remain intact and that could work against absorbing the energy, thus allowing more of it to transfer to the rider’s skull.

The findings of the Virginia Tech researchers may help helmet manufacturers continue to make improvements to their products and equip riders with a better resource to determine which helmet is best for them. At least for the 40 helmets included in this study, the results offer much more detail than the general ASTM standards.

One aspect we didn’t see mentioned in the Helmet Lab report was the extent to which a helmet’s protective quality degrades after an impact or over time. Most manufacturers offer some form of replacement policy for a helmet that’s been impacted by a fall. They also recommend replacing any helmet after five years of use, even if it never hit the ground. Whether or not those policies are scientifically supportable, it’s probably best to err on the side of extra safety.

So if you’re in the market for a new one, for whatever reason, you can do some star-gazing through the Virginia Tech rankings at helmet.beam.vt.edu.

(And to read about another way to protect both your head and neck in a fall, see the article on the LandSafe Rider Fall Safety System in this issue, page 4.

Spring will soon be blooming with a bouquet of challenging, exciting, and just plain fun events. We encourage you to get out and enjoy the many happenings in Horse Country.

Hunter Pace Events and Spring Races:

The spring races and the hunter pace series begin in March. For contact information and more details, go to www.centralentryoffice.com.

Spring Races, Virginia:

Sat., March 4: Rappahannock Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., March 18: Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., March 25: Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point

Sat., April 8: Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point

Sun., April 16: Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., April 22: Middleburg Spring Races

Sun., April 23: Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., April 29: Foxfield Spring Races

Sun., April 30: Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., May 6: Virginia Gold Cup Races

Spring Races, Maryland:

Sun., April 2: Green Spring Valley Point-to-Point

Sat., April 8: Elkridge-Harford Hunt Point-to-Point

Sat., April 15: My Lady’s Manor Races

Sun., April 16: Mount Harmon-Wicomico Point-to-Point

Sat., April 22: Grand National Steeplechase

Sat., April 29: The Maryland Hunt Cup

Sun., May 21: Potomac Hunt Races

Sat., May 27: Fair Hill Races

Hunter Pace Events:

Sun., March 26: Piedmont Fox Hounds

Sat., April 1: Orange County Hounds

Sun., April 9: Old Dominion Hounds

Sat., April 15: Rappahannock Hunt

Sat., April 22: Blue Ridge Hunt

Sun., April 29: Warrenton Hunt

Other Springtime Happenings:

Bull Run Hunt March Madness Hunt Week

Sun., March 19 – Saturday, March 25 www.BullRunHuntClub.com

Little Fork VFRC Trail Ride

Sat., April 22, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Rixeyville, VA www.LittleForkVRRC.org

Celebration of Western Hunting

Fri., May 12 – Sunday, May 21 Miles City, Montana www.BigSkyHounds.com

Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America

Members Reception

Saturday, May 27, 5:00 pm

The Mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg

Open to current members and members’ guests. www.mhhna.org

Museum of Hounds & Hunting North America

Art & Sculpture Exhibition, May 28 – June 25

The Mansion, Morven Park, Leesburg www.mhhna.org

Virginia Foxhound Club Cocktail Party & Dinner

Sat., May 27, 6:00 pm

Horning Blowing Contest, 7:00 pm www.virginiafoxhoundclub.org

Virginia Hound Show

Sun., May 28, Show begins at 9:00 Morven Park, Leesburg rferrer@patricioenterprises.com

For other hound show scheduling info, go to www.mfha.com.

Upperville Colt & Horse Show

Mon., June 5 – Sun., June 11 www.upperville.com