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Are Helmet Camera Mounts Safe? What the Research Says
Before attaching a GoPro or another action camera to your motorcycle helmet, it is reasonable to ask whether the mount could affect how your helmet performs in a crash.
A Transport for NSW laboratory study found that motorcycle helmet cameras and communication devices did not increase the measured risk of head or neck injury on average across the tested configurations. However, some individual setups produced worse results, and the findings do not establish that every helmet attachment is safe in every crash.
The July 2021 summary report, Assessing the Safety Impact of Attachments on Motorcycle Helmets, provides useful evidence for riders considering a helmet camera mount. It also explains why correct attachment methods and the integrity of the helmet matter.
Here is what the researchers tested, what they found, and how to apply those findings when choosing your setup.
Why researchers studied motorcycle helmet attachments
Helmet-mounted cameras and Bluetooth communication systems let riders record their trips and communicate on the road. But adding an external device raises questions about how it might interact with the ground during a crash.
Could a camera catch on a surface? Could a mount change the way the helmet rotates? Could an attachment increase the forces applied to the rider’s head or neck?
Transport for NSW commissioned McIntosh Consultancy and Research to investigate these questions at its Crashlab facility in Huntingwood, Australia.
The research examined both the suitability of existing attachment test methods and the effect of attachments on measured head and neck injury risk.
What the helmet camera safety study tested
The main study used 220 oblique impact tests, including 154 helmet attachment tests and 66 helmet-only reference tests. An initial 40-test pilot preceded the main study.
An oblique impact involves contact at an angle. In this setup, a helmet on an instrumented crash test dummy head and neck dropped onto a moving striker plate. This allowed researchers to measure the combined effects of impact and movement across a surface.
The main test program included:
| Test variable | What was included |
|---|---|
| Helmet models | Airoh Storm, RJays Apex, Roof Cooper, Scorpion Boulevard, Scorpion Vintage, and Shark Ridill |
| Impact locations | Front lateral, helmet rim lateral, rear lateral, and crown |
| Impact surfaces | Abrasive flat surface, polyurethane foam flat surface, and a bar anvil |
| Listed devices | Drift Ghost 4K, GoPro camera, NuViz head-up display, Scala communication unit, and Sena Bluetooth communication unit |
| Attachment methods | 3M VHB or equivalent adhesive tape, 3M Dual Lock, and a manufacturer-supplied clamp around the helmet’s lower edge |
| Listed drop heights | 1,200 mm, 1,600 mm, and 1,800 mm |
The researchers compared helmets with attachments against reference helmets without attachments. They also tested some helmets with a mount fitted but no device attached.
The study included helmet attachments secured with 3M VHB tape—the same adhesive brand and tape family used on our helmet-specific Chin Mounts. This makes the research relevant to our mounting method, although the report does not identify Chin Mounts products as tested. The findings apply to the tested configurations and do not constitute certification or endorsement of our mounts.
Why the researchers used oblique impact testing
The study began with the linear drop test method described in British Standard BS 6658:1985.
Some combinations of cameras and mounts provisionally failed the standard’s performance criteria. Further examination led the researchers to conclude that this method was not sufficiently representative of human head and neck responses for the attachment question they were investigating.
They moved to the oblique impact rig, which they considered more human-like for this purpose. After the pilot phase, external international reviewers endorsed the method and recommended a wider range of scenarios and more severe impacts.
This context matters. The initial failures were part of the research, but the report’s conclusions were based on the subsequent oblique testing. The study did not establish that attachment test requirements can simply be ignored.
What the study found about head injury risk
Across the tested configurations, attachments generally produced lower average measurements for several head impact responses than helmet-only reference tests.
| Head impact measurement | Average reduction with an attachment |
|---|---|
| Head Injury Criterion, or HIC | 42% |
| Peak linear head acceleration | 23% |
| Peak angular head velocity | 10% |
| Peak angular head acceleration | 22% |
HIC is a measure derived from head acceleration over time. Linear acceleration describes changes in straight-line motion, while angular measurements describe rotational motion.
These percentages describe average changes in laboratory measurements. A 42% reduction in HIC does not mean a camera makes a rider 42% less likely to suffer a brain injury.
The researchers suggested that some reductions could be explained by energy absorbed when a device separated from the helmet during impact. That explanation should not be treated as a guaranteed breakaway feature of an arbitrary camera mount.
For riders, the useful finding is that the tested attachments did not consistently worsen helmet performance, and the average results did not show increased head injury risk.
What the study found about neck injury risk
Neck injury analysis covered a subset of 188 tests: 128 helmet attachment tests and 60 helmet-only reference tests.
Compared with reference tests, the greatest force applied to the neck was 16% lower on average with attachments. The greatest neck moment, a measure of the turning effect of a force, showed no average change.
The study also recorded neck loads that exceeded selected injury criteria in both attachment and helmet-only tests. This means the findings should not be interpreted as showing that neck injury was impossible.
The conclusion concerns the relative effect of the tested attachments, rather than a promise of protection in a crash.
Some individual helmet attachment setups performed worse
The averages do not tell the whole story.
The researchers reported adverse results for specific combinations of helmet, attachment, impact location, and surface. These included mount-only configurations as well as a helmet fitted with a communication device.
For example, a Roof Cooper helmet with a Sena Bluetooth unit produced higher head acceleration and neck force than its reference test. Some GoPro mount-only configurations also produced higher rotational acceleration measurements.
The report found no obvious pattern identifying a consistently most hazardous attachment. Nevertheless, these individual results show why the findings cannot support a blanket claim that helmet accessories never affect safety.
Averages across multiple tests and the performance of one particular setup answer different questions.
Does the study prove that chin mounts are safer than other mounts?
No. The report does not establish that a chin-mounted camera is safer than a side-mounted or top-mounted camera.
The test program included a NuViz device mounted on the chin bar, but that does not amount to a direct comparison proving the safety of every GoPro chin mount.
A chin mount may suit the recording perspective you want. Its location alone does not establish superior crash performance.
When choosing a motorcycle helmet camera mount, consider your helmet’s instructions, the mount’s compatibility, and the complete camera setup rather than assuming one position guarantees safety.
What the research means for adhesive helmet mounts
The researchers tested adhesive attachment methods, including 3M VHB tape or equivalent tape supplied with certain mounts.
This makes the report relevant to the broader discussion of adhesive helmet accessories. It does not mean all adhesives, surface preparations, or mount designs perform the same way.
The study did not assess bolting, riveting, or the category it described as strong adhesive fixation methods judged more likely to compromise helmet performance. Its conclusions should not be extended to those methods.
An adhesive mount avoids the need to drill mounting holes, but helmet compatibility and correct installation still matter.
How to install a Chin Mount with care
Correct installation starts with the instructions for both your helmet and your mount. If your helmet manufacturer prohibits an attachment or installation method, do not treat this study as permission to override that guidance.
For a Chin Mount, use our installation instructions and the product photos for your exact helmet model.
Choose the mount for your helmet model
Chin Mounts offers helmet-specific designs. Use our helmet mount finder to select your helmet brand and model.
Check the advertised mounting position and test the fit before removing the adhesive backing. The mount should sit flush in its intended position.
Helmet-specific fit is a product feature; it is not a crash safety certification.
Prepare the surface and follow the bonding instructions
Our installation guide explains surface cleaning, adhesive warming, and pressure during installation. Follow the current guide rather than guessing at the preparation process.
Allow at least 24 hours for bonding, or 72 hours if the guide’s adhesive-warming step was not used. Do not attach the camera immediately after installation.
Check the complete setup before riding
After the bonding period, check the mount with the camera attached over a soft surface, as described in our guide. Check the fasteners and ensure the setup does not obstruct your view or the operation of your helmet.
Set your recording angle before riding. If the mount lifts, moves, or does not fit as intended, resolve the issue before using it.
Frequently asked questions about helmet camera mount safety
Are GoPro mounts safe on motorcycle helmets?
The Transport for NSW study included GoPro camera and mount configurations and found no average increase in measured head or neck injury risk across the broader test program. Some individual configurations performed worse. It does not establish universal safety for every GoPro mount and helmet combination.
Can a helmet camera increase neck injury risk?
Some individual attachment tests produced higher neck loads. Across the neck analysis as a whole, the study found lower average maximum neck force and no average change in maximum neck moment. The effect depended on the tested setup and impact conditions.
Is it safe to leave a camera mount on a helmet without the camera?
Mount-only setups were included in the study, and some produced adverse results. Removing the camera does not establish that a remaining mount has no effect on helmet performance.
Does 3M VHB tape make a helmet mount safe?
An adhesive’s brand alone cannot establish the crash performance of an entire helmet camera setup. The study included 3M VHB or equivalent tape, but its findings apply to the tested combinations and installation methods.
Can I drill into a motorcycle helmet to mount a camera?
Drilling was not validated by this study. Bolting and riveting were outside its tested scope. Do not drill into your helmet to install a Chin Mount; our adhesive mounts do not require mounting holes.
Did Transport for NSW test or approve Chin Mounts?
The report does not identify Chin Mounts products as tested or approved. It provides evidence about motorcycle helmet attachments generally within the scope of the laboratory program.
Choose a mount that fits and follow the instructions
The Transport for NSW research gives riders useful evidence: appropriately attached cameras and communication devices did not increase measured head or neck injury risk on average in the tested laboratory configurations.
It also leaves an essential qualification. Individual results varied, the testing took place in a laboratory, and no study of selected products can guarantee the performance of every possible setup.
If you are building a helmet camera setup, start with the right fit and a careful installation.
Find a Chin Mounts helmet camera mount for your helmet, then follow our installation guide before your first ride.
Research source
Transport for NSW, Centre for Road Safety. Assessing the Safety Impact of Attachments on Motorcycle Helmets. Summary report, July 2021. Relevant sections: Measures and methods, Results, Adverse test results, and Implications and Conclusion.