Survivors of terrifying accidents share harrowing images of their broken and blood-spattered helmets to prove that the protective headgear really DOES save lives

• Bored Panda rounded up photos showing the damage caused to bicycle and motorcycle helmets during accidents
• The helmets may be broken, but the wearers were protected from serious and even fatal injuries
• Statistics show that helmet save thousands of lives every year, and those who don't wear them are at a high risk of injury and death 

Anyone who has ever ridden a bicycle, motorcycle, skateboard has likely been encouraged to wear a helmet. Though you may think a plastic bucket atop your skull may not do much - photos reveal just how life-saving helmets can be.  

Bored Panda collected a series of extreme pictures, all showing helmets that have been subjected to potentially life-threatening damage. From bike helmets cracked in half to motorcycle helmets sanded flat by pavement, these photos prove that helmets really do save lives.

Despite the scary nature of these images, the important thing to note is that helmets really do work - and if the people wearing the helmets had just so happened to forget theirs that day, their stories likely would have ended very differently. 

These photos are not simply rare, once-off occasions. The statistics support the fact that all types of helmets save lives every day. 

Statistics from the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute illuminate the fact that the number of brain injuries related to bicycling outnumber brain injuries from football, soccer, and baseball collectively each year. 

Going beyond simply injury, an average of 84 per cent of all cyclist deaths in the past 21 years occurred when a cyclist was not wearing a helmet. 

When it comes to motorcycles, the statistics are just as unforgiving. 

As reported by the Insurance Information Institute, 40 per cent of all motorcycle fatalities in 2015 involved someone who was not wearing a helmet. 

Unfortunately, only 61 per cent of motorcyclists reported regularly wearing a helmet in 2015, down from 71 per cent in 2000. 

Other images in the series show helmets belonging to construction workers. Fortunately, many construction sites require mandatory helmet use. 

Whether you're a cyclist, a biker, or even just working on remodeling your kitchen - if a situation seems like a helmet might be a good idea, it probably is.