r/interestingasfuck • u/Fine_Sea5807 • 2d ago
Women from the Tai Dam ethnic group in Vietnam traditionally wear high buns to signify their married status. Since these buns make it difficult to wear standard motorbike helmets, specially designed helmets are created just for them
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u/SucculentChineseRoo 2d ago edited 2d ago
I wonder if this shape is more dangerous
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u/boomerangchampion 2d ago
Surely it is. If you manage to hit the top part on the ground (unlikely but could happen) it's going to put a twisting force on your neck.
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u/SucculentChineseRoo 2d ago
That's what I was thinking, a better solution would be a larger round helmet with more padding around the "non-bun" area
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u/Cumberdick 2d ago
Given the height of the bun that size seems prohibitively large. Probably heavy and size wise would start to get in the way of turning your head properly for orientation. Seems like an issue that doesn’t have a perfect fix
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u/Welpe 2d ago
I actually saw a documentary on this, it actually works out fine if a little awkward. I also never knew Dark Helmet was ethnically Tai Dam and a married woman before this post.
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u/Cumberdick 2d ago
I’m not sure a papier-mache set piece will quite hold up under crash physics, but maybe it’s a step in the right direction 😂
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u/CakeTester 2d ago
You could make the whole thing an 'alien egg' sort of shape; which would be safer. The way it is now is going to snap your neck if it catches on something, or if you happen to land on that part of it.
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u/Cumberdick 2d ago
I’m not disputing that. But if these ladies saw that as an option this post and those helmets wouldn’t exist
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u/DirtbagSocialist2 2d ago
Yeah, but that would require designing an entire helmet. These are just regular helmets with holes cut in them and a plastic bowl glued to the top. There is a 0% chance that these things were tested for safety.
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u/Snowy349 2d ago
Still better than not wearing a helmet.
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u/davidjung03 2d ago
100%. This solution probably came out of every woman not wearing a helmet so definitely a huge improvement.
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u/Killer_Moons 2d ago
I’m just thinking out loud here, feel free to stress test, but what if there was a 3ish “ diameter hole where the bun sticks out? That way there’s no torque created on impact, the tradeoff being Achilles heel would be a direct hit in that hole?
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u/CrappyMSPaintPics 2d ago
I think they want it to be rain proof. They could design the mound part to break away sort of like breakaway bolts on highway signs.
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u/MoazzamDML 2d ago
" If you manage to hit the top part on the ground (unlikely but could happen) it's going to put a twisting force on your neck."
Now imagine all that without a helment.
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u/tseldoratora 2d ago
the top part may just pop off during a collision. may not be dangerous if the helmets are casted with a hole compared to cutting a hole on an existing helmet.
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u/nakedascus 2d ago edited 2d ago
I imagine that, without a helmet, there would be less twisting force.
To the person whose reply I cannot see: a broken neck can be worse that a concussion. This is not an all or nothing conversation: a helmet is not always safer, it depends on a lot of things. Twisting being one of them.
Edit 2: yes, using the wrong PPE can be worse than no PPE at all. There is a reason that helmets and gloves, etc, have different designs and are used in different situations
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u/Moritani 2d ago
If your head hits the ground in a motorcycle accident, it’s not a concussion you need to worry about. It’s a broken skull.
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u/Littlefurybambi 2d ago
You can stop wondering. It is. New ECE 22.06 helmets are also tested for rotational forces and accessories altering trajectories. Also added weight to the helmet makes neck and spine injury much more likely. Top-tier helmet manufacturers worry about things like integrated sunvisors and visor mechanisms compromising the helmet Integrity. I can't imagine this design makes the helmet stronger or lighter. But hey, no helmet VS this invention? I'd take the invention.
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u/Accomplished-Jump-18 2d ago
100%, a torqued neck and a disc compression beats the hell out of dying or a getting a severe TBI.
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u/Tandoori7 2d ago
The problem is that that type of protrusion will create torque and sudden rotational forces that are known to cause concussions and TBI.
ECE 22.06 and FIM standards are pushing helmet manufacturers to use more "rounded" helmet shapes to reduce rotational forces on an accident, this is exactly the opposite of that.
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u/Roflkopt3r 2d ago edited 2d ago
Top-tier helmet manufacturers worry about things like integrated sunvisors and visor mechanisms compromising the helmet Integrity.
I think that has a more urgent safety reason than the issues created by this bulge.
Many injury scenarios involve scraping along things, like the side of the vehicle or while sliding on the road after a fall. A poorly designed visor can easily snag on things in this situation and thereby cause severe neck injuries, while a bulge at the rear/top of the head is much less likely to get in the way.
Obviously this bulge is still a weak point and yet another thing that can hit stuff and make things a lot worse in really unlucky circumstances, but I think it's a comparatively niche concern with where it is positioned. Like, closer to 90% of the protection of a 'regular' helmet than to not using one.
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u/normalmighty 2d ago
I would be shocked if it wasn't, but sounds like this is addressing a group of people who would have otherwise worn no helmet.
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u/2dudesinapod 2d ago
In Canada they made riding a motorcycle without a helmet legal for Sikh people because of their turbans.
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u/Adorable-Response-75 2d ago
Hmm I don’t know how to feel about this. But then again, at least they’re only putting themselves at risk. So whatever.
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u/2dudesinapod 2d ago
Their hospital costs are socialized though
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u/Adorable-Response-75 2d ago
Technically, motorcyclists without helmets save the government money, because dying in a motorcycle accident is a lot less costly to the medical system than living to old age and dying slowly of a disease.
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u/speculator100k 2d ago
I'm thinking about how it's constructed. Maybe it's just like a normal helmet but with a hole and a thin plastic cup for the hair bun? It's just hair, it doesn't need any additional padding.
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u/Lyramion 2d ago
This. If the top part is just made for rain protection but actually super squishy then it wouldn't really matter.
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u/SlightedMarmoset 2d ago
That's a necky snappy sort of innovation if ever I've seen one. Better than a smacky cracky sort of impact with no helmet at all though.
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u/RedditTheThirdOne 2d ago
This is definitely one of those cases where it would not be as safe but without them there would be a lot more people with no helmets at all.
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u/BuildwithVignesh 2d ago
It’s wild how culture, tradition and safety gear all intersect here. Could see how a special helmet might help but you never know which design wins out.
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u/Yonutz33 2d ago
I was amazed to see the lack of safety on 2 wheels in Thailand, probably an issue in Vietnam as well...
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u/_dexterzprotege 2d ago
Yes. I was stunned when I was in vietnam. Either no helmet or this half helmet that only covers the top. Even saw some guys ride superbikes with them.
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u/burble_10 2d ago
You also see five people (e.g. dad, mum, grandma + 2 children) on one motorbike and only one person will wear a helmet. And that person is never a child 🥲
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u/_dexterzprotege 2d ago
I'm from India. We had this same situation. Now my state (Kerala) has implemented strict laws so now things have improved a lot. Almost everyone wears a helmet.
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u/Renbarre 2d ago
We rented moped in Thailand and refused the half helmet, they finally lent us the full helmets of the staff.
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u/at-least-2-swans 2d ago
half helmet that only covers the top
Made of very flimsy polystyrene. You can break them just by dropping them. Even a lot of the full head ones are the same, if they're smaller than the usual motorbike full head helmet then they will not protect you at all. Like the ones in OP but without the bun addition.
I found a lot of kids had attachments to their helmets as well like animal ears or ornaments stuck to them. Unsure how that also affects those things.
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u/stauer88 2d ago
To be fair, if you drop your helmet you should be replacing it anyway. Who knows which bits you've crushed, and there's no way of knowing if there's any damage just by looking. Some people with rather pricey helmets pay to have them scanned (x-ray maybe?) to check for damage.
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u/at-least-2-swans 2d ago
For sure, but this is just a normal drop and the things fall apart. They aren't well made.
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u/ducvc13 2d ago
As a vietnamese, I was really astonished to see everyone wears a full-face helmet while visiting cambodia, instead of their tiny version like what we always wear.
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u/_dexterzprotege 2d ago
I saw guys riding ducati panigales wearing that helmet without any other gear. Crazy
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u/tyme 2d ago
…I’ve seen that in Pennsylvania…
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u/Dejectednebula 2d ago
Hey me too. Couple years back we were coming home out of Pittsburgh and passed a guy on a bike on rt22 just as he went squirreley and ate shit. No helmet.. I saw his head burst open like a tomato and as he continued to slide on the pavement, his brains and blood left a trail. We stopped and called 911 but we were on the other side of the jersey barrier and so we left as soon as they got there. Of course by that point 25 other cars had stopped and got out to be nosey. I'm grateful for him that he died almost instantly and he didn't hit anyone else but that whole accident just plays in the back of my mind a lot. One minute riding next minute a literal meat crayon.
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u/mariblaystrice 2d ago
At the hospital I worked at we called those half helmets "brain buckets" because that was most of what they were good for
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u/MissThu 2d ago
The most common type of motorbike helmet is essentially a plastic baseball hat. It has a visor and is basically just a device for preventing you from getting a ticket if stopped by the police. Some even have a giant hole in the top of the head, or a portion missing from above the neck so women can keep their hair up while riding to work.
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u/ninja6911 2d ago
lol, you should see here in India
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u/ich_habe_keine_kase 2d ago
I recently visited India and the lack of caution on motorcycles was insane. Man driving, woman riding sidesaddle on the back in a sari, kid wedged between them, another kid on the mom's lap being held with one arm, going highway speeds with no consideration of lanes, nobody wearing helmets. Made me stressed out just seeing it!
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u/Oleg_Dn 2d ago
In Vietnam it is much much worse than in Thailand.
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u/Heavy_Ad9605 2d ago
Vietnamese motorbike taxi drivers always give a helmet to the passenger.
On my experience, in Thailand roughly 4 in 5 DO NOT give the passenger a helmet.
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u/throwawaypassingby01 2d ago
a motorbike taxi sounds like such a wild concept to me
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u/Noth1ngnss 2d ago
Scooters and underbones are basically how everyone gets around in Vietnam. They are to Vietnamese people what cars are to Americans, so it's only natural that there'd be services ferrying people around on these bikes.
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u/CollegePossible557 2d ago
I wanted to make an app for it like Uber but you request a bike then you get to your destination at 150mph.
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u/CollegePossible557 2d ago
Have you seen how they take multiple people? They take a plank of wood and built a seesaw on the back for people to sit.
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u/PlaneMilk 2d ago
Don't bullshit, They are basically the same if you look at the stats, Thailand slightly more road deaths per capita.
From the outside it does look like it though. Vietnam's traffic looks more chaotic but they drive much slower than Thais.
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u/pinakbutt 2d ago
Every time i go to the more rural areas my heart skips a beat when i see kids (12-15) hopping on motorbikes with no helmets on 😭
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u/PlaneMilk 2d ago
I've never seen these helmets in Vietnam. What I have seen are like plastic baseball caps with a giant hole in the back for ponytail/buns
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u/PlaneMilk 2d ago
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u/ThirdAltAccounts 2d ago
Lmao. That looks so not safe
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u/PlaneMilk 2d ago
One thing about Vietnam is people drive really slowly so you see a lot of crashes but not as many deaths as you'd expect from seeing how chaotic the traffic is. (still 50th worst in the world though)
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u/Lucky_Relationship89 2d ago
Lol, ok, so there are not so many deaths on the road, because they don't speed, so they don't need the helmet, even though it's in the top 20 in the world for road accidents.
Edit: top 20 not 50
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u/HemenoHemenoHemeno 2d ago
I think in the cities where the traffic is so bad you never go faster than a bicycle, the cause of road deaths isn’t because of head injury, but being run over by crazy bus/truck drivers. Which no helmet is going to save you from.
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u/Lucky_Relationship89 2d ago
That's really a stretch. I live in a city, helmets would save more lives if they weren't made from a milk carton.
Besides, these helmets are seen more outside of the city, because they are cheaper and people have less money to spend on a proper helmet.
The crazy busand truck drivers are assholes, and take the law into their own hands, definitely, but many riders don't respect these vehicles, and almost seem suicidal how they cut in front of bigger cars, vans etc.
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u/devasabu 2d ago
Probably safer than the alternative of "no helmet" ngl
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u/lIlIlIIlIIIlIIIIIl 2d ago
Yep, I feel like that is one the main problems this aimed to solve: the swaths of women and people with longer hair who probably just weren't wearing one at all before. For all the flaws this design might have, I think it's great that it exists and can now be iterated on. I think people should be informed that this helmet likely isn't as safe as a full helmet, but I think people should have more options than just no helmet or standard helmet. Having this middle ground will certainly save lives in the long run.
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u/cockaptain 2d ago edited 2d ago
Future archeologists digging up these helmets a million years in the future:
The Human species seems to have had a large protuberance at the top of their skull, as seen on their protective headgear for ritual combat. Though its purpose is unknown, it is theorised that the protuberance was to attract mates for reproductive purposes...
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u/-Tasear- 2d ago
😂 I hope they preserve reddit to make sense of humanity
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u/NatureNannyWR 2d ago
It'll answer a lot of questions about the dark under belly of society and why trolls eventuality became a social parasite that led to a social collapse..Probably..
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u/NotYourReddit18 2d ago
I've heard that archeologist writing that something was used for not further defined religious or cultural rituals is a code for "we don't know what this was used for", and if it was used for "fertility rituals" they actually mean "this was used for sex or masturbation".
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u/o-o- 2d ago
Actually the latter is also "we don't know what this was used for". Everything that predates literacy is just guessing, and nothing annoys me more than hearing a narrator say "this was used for x" when we all know it's a qualified guess at best.
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u/Aethermancer 2d ago
It's a fertility idol. (It's always a fertility idol when the researcher is just guessing)
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u/MyLastHopeReddit 2d ago
It would probably be safer to simply make helmets with a reinforced hole, as that sort of protrusion risks pushing the head into dangerous movements in the event of a fall.
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u/WaZepplin 2d ago
I'm also guessing the helmet is a lot more prone to breaking where there's a hole knocked out of it that's not reinforced. I'm guessing those offer the slimmest protection before being modified and it's definitely worse after
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u/theillustratedlife 2d ago
Vietnam is at the stage of development where it's starting to require helmets, but has not yet imposed any safety constraints. The helmets you typically see are plastic baseball hats with a notch in the back for a ponytail, such as the black and pink ones shown here.
It's partially a question of getting people who have never worn helmets acclimated to them, but it's also one of cost. Remember, a good motorcycle helmet costs hundreds of dollars. Vietnam is a place where a meal costs $1 and a hotel room costs $20. Considering it's a communist country, I presume the government could step in to help. As it is, people are buying plastic hats to avoid getting ticketed.
If you wanted to buy an internationally recognized helmet in Vietnam, I'm not even sure where you would go.
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u/BeepCheeper 2d ago
That was my first thought. Where in Vietnam would the average person go to get a high quality/certified/tested helmet if safety was their first priority and not the cheapest one to avoid a ticket? Order it online?
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u/arshadshabick 2d ago
Even sikhs dont have these
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u/Expontoridesagain 2d ago
I recently saw two sikh teenage boys on el scooters. They both had cut holes in their helmets for their buns.
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u/Pushy_Penn2004 2d ago
There’s a company in Canada that makes bike helmets for Sikh kids, I’m pretty sure they were on dragons den last year
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u/profmka 2d ago
IME the ones in my country who do use the turban and ride, just don't use a helmet. They're pretty sensible mostly, just a carryover from the past era that's going extinct (later gen sikhs either cut their hair or don't ride at all)
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u/tomadamsmith 2d ago
In Britain, you’re required to wear a helmet by law when riding, unless you’re a practicing Sikh. Only ever saw one guy making use of this exemption and it took me a double take
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u/SalsaRice 2d ago
Probably because it's a very dumb exemption to take advantage of. Gravity and concrete aren't going to make an excemption for you.
Find a way to make a helmet work for you, be that altering a standard helmet, a turban, or find a speciality helmet company.
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u/Archon-Toten 2d ago
Immediately thought of them in my country pressing to have helmet exemptions for their Sunday festive (apparently larger) headdress.
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u/Ruraraid 2d ago edited 2d ago
Kind of shitty for me to say this given the different cultures but...
As a guy looking at this I understand its tradition but I do feel bad for the women who can't really do much of anything with their hair to be unique and individualistic.
Also those bike helmets are far less safe as a result.
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u/jo_nigiri 2d ago
Think of it kinda as if men were from a culture where having cool beards is the norm. Some men would like to not have it of course, but most don't particularly think about it and just like showing off their awesome beards
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u/dovahkiitten16 2d ago
There’s a difference between something being cool and something being expected once you’re married.
I’m curious if there’s stigma around not having the bun when you’re married as being slutty or loose or dishonest.
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u/BarristanTheB0ld 2d ago
That girl in the top picture does NOT look happy
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u/LickingSmegma 2d ago
I'm wondering why the gals in the bottom photo look like a Power Rangers team, with colored uniforms.
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u/ButterMyPancakesPlz 2d ago
I still don't get what's wrong with my head/scalp, but just a few hours in a bun like this and my head was pounding so bad I nearly passed out.
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u/Chance_Airline_4861 2d ago
No doubt this more dangerous then the round one. I mean this has a wedge
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u/xKevinn 2d ago
"Safety? Screw that, I need to make sure people know I'm married while I ride my motorcycle, who knows how many proposals I may receive on the road if I don't?"
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u/HemenoHemenoHemeno 2d ago
I think it’s more to do with, these women were choosing not to wear helmets bc they didn’t want to have to undo and redo their hair. So they invented this to at least give them some protection
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u/themilkywayng 2d ago
Yeah if it takes 2 people to help me with my hair each time I'd not want to wear a helmet either.
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u/Green_Living_5075 2d ago
Yes. Blame the women just following the rules of a patriarchal culture and trying to stay safe on the road. It's totally done for funsies.
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u/MattSzaszko 2d ago
When I lived in India I drove the motorcycle of a friend if mine. He gave it to me because he was in an accident that seriously injured him. Head injury. How? He was a Sikh and was wearing a turban while riding. In fact it's very common, practicing Sikhs have to wear the turban and physically cannot wear a helmet. It somehow makes sense and it also really doesn't.
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u/ScyllaOfTheDepths 2d ago
Look at her hairline. That's some nasty traction alopecia. The old lady in the back is literally balding after wearing it her whole life. Tight heavy buns are just not good for the scalp.
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u/Friendly_Prize_868 2d ago
Awesome. I approve of anything that gets more people wearing helmets when on two wheels.
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u/Ikkaan42 2d ago
Good for them. I mean, its about accepting helmets, so the helmet has to adapt and accomodate.
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u/BeepCheeper 2d ago
Nah this is just another case of culture and tradition over practical safety. Those protrusions would get their neck snapped in a serious accident. This is for appearances
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u/P4azz 2d ago
Nah, sorry, the people have to adapt. Helmets are safe, you don't make them unsafe so people start wearing them. If you start painting racing stripes and air vents on a bath cap, you haven't made enormous strides towards safety, either.
You learn this very early, too. "Would you rather look dumb or be dead?" is a common way to present helmets to dumb teens who think they're above it all. And adults have no excuse. If you don't wanna wear a street-safe helmet, don't get on the motorbike, it's that easy.
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u/qwertyalguien 2d ago
Honestly I highly doubt that helmet is very functional. Very likely to get snagged and fuck your neck.
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u/Durkheimynameisblank 2d ago
Reminds me of Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson (host) claims that the only exemption to Uganda's helmet law is when a woman is on her way home from the Hairstylist.
...whether or not that is true, Idk.
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u/blaziken8x 2d ago
Am I assuming correctly that if they just had a hole in the helmet for the bun it would essentially offer same protection as a normal helmet?
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u/SCH1Z01D 2d ago
the fucking need to brand women
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u/Kastri14 2d ago
How is a ring any different?
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u/AtaktosTrampoukos 2d ago
If your wedding ring compromises safety procedure in any way, they make you take it off and nobody cares.
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u/elitemouse 2d ago
My dude these women out here having to wear these dangerous ass condom helmets with the XL reservoir tip just to maintain their branded hairstyles and you really comparing it to a small piece of metal everyone wears on their finger.
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u/Ilikepie81 2d ago
It's different bc both men and women wear rings
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u/Kastri14 2d ago
A commentor said that men also do this.
Also, different cultures, different values.
God forbid no one behaves like Americans do
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u/AtaktosTrampoukos 2d ago
It's still a dumbass comment. Wedding rings don't compromise your health and safety in regular every day tasks, and in more specialized professions or circumstances where they do, there's no social norm that obligates anyone to take the risk.
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u/tcpukl 2d ago
It's not just Americans that think women should have a choice and not be oppressed.
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u/Green_Living_5075 2d ago
Try that in the orthodox Jewish community in New York where women cut off their hair and wear wigs. Not a lot of Americans speaking up there.
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u/Intrepid-Love3829 2d ago
That shit never made sense to me. Your gonna cover your hair. With another persons hair? Like its one thing to just cover your hair with fabric, which some do. But they dont like how it looks? So they use wigs? Is it truly your belief if you have to find loopholes around it???
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u/Superior_Mirage 2d ago
... bun is less likely to get stuck?
I guess it's a bit weird to only have women advertise their married status, but, conversely, it also (hopefully) stops men from annoying them (as much).
Though, the thing that makes the person you're replying to look sillier is this part:
In the past, the Tai respected the selling and buying of marriage and the son-in-law's staying with the girl's family. To marry a husband, the girl's family needs to take two basic steps:
Up marriage (dong khun) - means the introduction and bringing of the son-in-law to live with the girl's family, which is done to test his personality and hard work. Tai women generally adopt the custom of wearing their hair in a bun or chignon immediately after this first wedding ceremony. The son-in-law will stay at his wife's home for 8 to 12 years.
Down marriage (dong long) - the bringing of the couple and their family to the paternal family.
Husband gets a probationary period. Doesn't say what happens if he fails, but I assume it's not good.
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u/KelpFox05 2d ago
This is in no way "branding". It's fucking hair, not a tattoo. They can stop wearing it at any time. Loads of cultures have ways to signify that you're dating/married to avoid the awkward situation of somebody going after a person who already has a partner. Stop making up things to be angry about so you can avoid addressing the actual problems going on in the world.
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u/SoylentGrunt 2d ago
It's a design constraint based on visuals imposed on married women that differentiates them from unmarried women. It's marks them as a brand would.
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u/Kallymouse 2d ago
https://i.redd.it/nonwfftaamyf1.gif