NFL Helmets Getting a Makeover

A new helmet design is likely to be on the field this season, as NFL teams react to the demand of fans and sports commentators to deal with the issue of concussions and long-term neurological damage resulting from the game.  The Vicis Zero1 helmet is touted as reducing the severity of head impacts and uses multiple layers of shock absorbing material, including a soft outer layer, to lower the G impact resulting from the typical football collision.



I'm keeping my fingers crossed. As someone who played, and as the son of a professional football coach, I'm under no illusions about the violence of the game and the risk of permanent brain injury. But there's no denying the appeal of the game to millions of participants and fans alike. If it's possible to make it safer without altering the game's fundamental elements, then the League and clubs have a duty to do so.  OSHA might be interested in this development, too.