Hobbycraft refused to sell paint to black man as ‘he may use it for graffiti’
stopthatgirl7@kbin.social to 
theguardian.com
Louis Gray says he was racially profiled after trying to buy spray paint to make over his son’s bicycle helmet
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That's not how helmets work. The outer shell certainly helps mitigate bumps and bangs, but what really protects your head is the styrofoam inner that compresses like an airbag upon impact.
No it's both. The outer shell deforms before breaking and then the foam absorbs the rest of the impact.
Dude there are many different helmet designs, with both thick and thin plastic covers. In a practical day to day use case, the plastic shell is there for appearance as well as protection for the primary means to prevent damage to the foam core of the helmet. The foam is no good if it gets damaged the first time you accidentally drop it on the pavement.
I'm sure it can play some role in protecting your head, but it's main purpose is to keep the foam on your head on one piece in case of an accident.