In a serious bicycle accident head injuries can occur even with approved cycle helmets that have passed the legal requirements. Take a look at an airbag cycle helmet that is an exception to this. It has achieved astonishing results in tests, which have shown that it provides an extremely high level of protection.
Hövding is an airbag for cyclists providing the highest level of protection. “Hövding is the biggest thing since the emergence of the cycle helmet and, as a milestone, is equivalent to when the airbag was developed for cars”, says Maria Krafft, PhD, Associate Professor, Head of Division Traffic Safety & Environment at the Swedish insurance company Folksam.
The harmful effects of Folksam’s impact test show that, with a traditional cycle helmet in this type of accident, the likelihood of serious head injury is approximately 90% and the risk of a fatal injury is as high as 30%. The use of an airbag cycle helmet in the same accident dramatically reduces the risk of injury. The risk of serious head injury is then only 2% and the risk of a fatal injury almost non-existent.
The permitted maximum value for cycle helmets is alarmingly high, which means that a rider can still suffer serious head injuries in an accident wearing a helmet that meets the current legal requirement of 250 g.
“‘Best practice’ is often chosen as the norm in consumer tests that drive development forward. This means that there is now no reason to maintain the 250 g limit for an approved helmet”, says Maria Krafft.
