I don't believe it in general
Here's my proof that does exist. Please provide yours that shows it doesn't.
Hockey helmets, face masks, and injurious behavior
- The introduction of mandatory head and facial protection has been effective in virtually eliminating ocular, facial, and dental injuries in youth hockey, but it has also been problematically linked with an increase in catastrophic spinal injuries. Players adopt a false sense of security when donning the equipment, leading them to take excessive and unwarranted risks because of the protection they are supposedly afforded. The addition of these protective devices has also altered how officials perceive game situations, leading them to be more lenient in administering penalties. The net result has been an increase in illegal and injurious behaviors, such as checking from behind.
- There is a direct risk compensation effect with protective equipment, where players – under the perception of decreased risk – will engage in riskier behaviour for a perceived higher reward. As Participant 2 stated, “I think having the increase in protective equipment, [the players] are more likely to sacrifice safety for some contact speed and physical level.”
- In their study, Menger and colleagues (2016) found that athletes who thought their headgear prevented SRC (sports related concussions) were around 4 times more likely to exhibit aggressive playing behaviours than athletes who wore headgear but didn't believe the headgear prevented SRC. These findings are concerning because they suggest that athletes may be putting themselves and others at an increased risk of injury when they don't understand the role of their equipment.