Over the years there have been a variety of studies on helmet use and CSI
in motorcycle crashes, with a couple of reports indicating an increased risk of CSI among helmeted riders and most studies finding no protective effect or harmful biomechanical risk to the cervical
spine.
Despite claims that helmets do not protect the cervical
spine during a
motorcycle crash and may even increase the risk of injury, researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics
in Madison found that, during an accident, helmet use lowers the likelihood of cervical
spine injury (CSI), particularly fractures of the cervical vertebrae.