An alternative to helmet safety?

[Marc Irwin]

This invention seems made to order for the Riv crowd.  Not only is it an unobtrusive safety alternative, it's expensive also, so it's got that goin' for it.

http://www.focusforwardfilms.com/films/49/the-invisible-bicycle-helmet

Marc

[Ron Mc]

thanks for the link - sees an over esoteric answer to a simple question, and a projected cost of $600/ supports that

not mine, but another opinion in print

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/08/17/invisible_bicycle_helmet_isn_t_invisible_costs_600_and_might_not_work.html

[Matthew J]

But  1)Bike helmets only work once  2) there is no testing of which I am aware that demonstrates the relative safety of the design versus a bike helmet 3) If is in fact more safe than a bike helmet than the author is arguing that increased safety is not worth a few hundred bucks?  Given the exuberant advocacy from many helmet promoters I find three rather curious.

 

 

[William]

I think that is extraordinarily clever. 

[Garth]

It's an airbag for your head ... Are not airbags explosive devices ?

As with all "safety" devices .... "safety" is relative to the one defining it. 

[Corwin]

I like the product. Creative and innovative. Can't say that I'd buy one since I prefer my cautious riding style when I leave my helmet at home.

That's not to say that I don't wear a helmet when I think the conditions warrant it. And as someone else pointed out - most other helmets are good for a single impact as well - so this is not really a drawback.


Corwin

On Tuesday, November 20, 2012 7:44:42 AM UTC-8, Marc Irwin wrote:

[Matthew J]

> It's an airbag for your head ... Are not airbags explosive devices ?

 

The force needed to propel modern air bags is much less now than even a few years ago, let alone the 1980s when the technology was first evented.

 

I see this as a very good idea by some young people with minimal resources.  With luck a well established company picks up on it and makes improvements to what is already a good start. 

On Tuesday, November 20, 2012 10:59:43 PM UTC-6, Garth wrote:

[C.J. Filip]

Looks like it would be hot in the summer.

[Matthew J]

As are helmets.  For warmer climes, they could be made in linen rather than cotton or wool.

[Steve Palincsar]

On Wed, 2012-11-21 at 07:42 -0800, Matthew J wrote:
> As are helmets. For warmer climes, they could be made in linen rather
> than cotton or wool.

Both my experience (living in the miasmatic swamps of Metro DC) and
dimly remembered research that showed heads are cooler with helets than
bare in the summer sun, contradict that statement. Nobody here seems to
have any trouble with helmets in the summertime, and believe me we have
some serious summertime here. Now the idea of wearing a big thick
collar around my neck in the summer -- ridiculous. I don't care what
it's made of.

[Jim Cloud]

> Now the idea of wearing a big thick
> collar around my neck in the summer -- ridiculous. I don't care what
> it's made of.

Agreed. No one in their right mind would wear something like that in
Tucson during the summer.

Jim Cloud

[Matthew J]

Here in Chicago anyway, my head gets hotter wearing a helmet than not.

 

On the other hand, a towel soaked in cool water around my neck cools me down.  Certainly no reason someone could not put water on the collar. 

[Matthew J]

> Agreed.  No one in their right mind would wear something like that in
> Tucson during the summer. 

Never been to Tuscon, but I've seen people hiking the Grand Canyon with cloths soaked in water around their necks.