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Until recently motorcycles have not had much in the way of crash protection. Sometimes the things we learn in our youth stick with us long after they have gone out of date. Clearly doing a barrel roll down the road being thrashed by a 400 lb. piece of metal is to be avoided. At the track one can kick free and slide to a halt fairly safely. On the highway there are many obstacles to strike. Can a motorcycle fairing be designed to protect the rider in a crash? Certainly. Without seeing the photographs of the Vetter Helix after the crash it would be difficult to gauge what effect the streamlining had in the injuries Craig suffered. We don't know if the nose pushed the deer up into Craig's face or whether he struck the windscreen and upper turret. Fiberglass does not absorb crash energy the same way as sheet metal or Plexiglas. What we do know from high speed human powered racer crashes is that a rigid shell and a lap belt go a long way in protecting the rider. I use a full face Bell helmet and design my fairings to reduce possible injury in a crash.
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