Now researchers believe an alternative to the hard foam helmets borrowed from the airbags found in most modern cars could help to save lives.

    A team at Stanford University is crash testing the helmets to measure the level of protection they provide against standard foam helmets.

    In the lab, tests showed that helmets with air bags can dramatically reduce acceleration*, which can help prevent more severe injuries.

    They claim that inflatable* helmets are up to six times more effective than the foam alternatives. Commercially available airbags for cyclists have been available for years and consist of a collar worn around the neck that contains the inflatable device.

    Algorithms* in the collar detect when a cyclist has a fall and deploys* the airbag in a fraction of a second so that it envelopes the head.

    Swedish manufacturer Hovding is one of those manufacturing airbag helmets for cyclists. They are, however, far more expensive than traditional bike helmets, costing around US$279 each.

    Once the airbag has been deployed it needs to be replaced, much like traditional helmets after a crash.

    Testing showed the devices are three times safer than traditional head protection alone. “We found that airbag helmets, with the right initial pressure, can reduce head accelerations five to six times compared to a traditional bicycle helmet,” explained Mehmet Kurt, one of the team at Stanford putting the helmets through their paces.

    (SD-Agencies)