History
In the earliest cycling days there were many head injuries. As more roads were paved the likelihood of head injuries increased. In the 1800’s high-wheel users in clubs realized head injuries were a problem so they started wearing pith helmets. Pith is a crushable material and would probably break up on contact but it was likely the best material available. There weren’t many cars so they only needed protection against one impact.
After the pith helmets came, helmets made of strips of leather-covered padding, some called “hairnets” were the new style of helmet. It was a ring of leather around the head supplemented by strips of leather arranged longitudinally on the head. After a while the inside of the strip was changed to foam, but …show more content…
Some began using hockey helmets others used headgear on the market like “bump caps” other were more of the looks rather than protection. By the 1980’s many different styles of helmets were made, but no one knew which brand/style was the best. The Snell Foundation and WABA’s helmet committee put together a test to see which helmet was the best. There were around 20 helmets that they tested, and the Bell Biker, updated MSR, and the Bailen Bike Bucket were the best ones. In 1984 the ANSI headgear committee took on the ANSI Z80.4 which was the first workable bike helmet standard for the U.S. The Snell Foundation fixed their standard the next year to make more realistic levels for bicycle riding impacts. Within the next year the ANSI standard took over the market and the old “helmets” were gone (in some instances because of lawsuits).
In the mid-1980’s bike helmets had EPS foam liners, with ABS or polycarbonate hard shells. Almost all of them had the strap design shaped like a Y on each side. For the buckles many had d-rings or plastic buckles that were made by …show more content…
So they tested how well helmets withstood forces of impact and crash tests when covering human skulls. They found that wearing a helmet can reduce up to 87% the acceleration experienced by the skull during an impact and it can help the skull in resisting forces up to 470 pounds in a crush accident. (AANS)
Bike helmets have saved many peoples’ lives. For instance, Ryan Lipscomb was biking through Madison, Wisconsin when he tried to avoid a turning truck and flipped on to the pavement. The truck ran over his head and left tread marks on his helmet. Lipscomb only suffered a concussion and is still around to tell people the story. (Inskeep)
In Urbandale, Iowa 4-year-old Eli Dobbs was run over by a truck. He had just gotten off his bike and was wearing his bike helmet when his younger brother shifted the truck into neutral. It rolled toward him and ran over the top of his helmet. The shape and slickness of the helmet helped push his head out of the way. It could have and most likely would have killed him if he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He only suffered a couples bruises and scratches.
In the earliest cycling days there were many head injuries. As more roads were paved the likelihood of head injuries increased. In the 1800’s high-wheel users in clubs realized head injuries were a problem so they started wearing pith helmets. Pith is a crushable material and would probably break up on contact but it was likely the best material available. There weren’t many cars so they only needed protection against one impact.
After the pith helmets came, helmets made of strips of leather-covered padding, some called “hairnets” were the new style of helmet. It was a ring of leather around the head supplemented by strips of leather arranged longitudinally on the head. After a while the inside of the strip was changed to foam, but …show more content…
Some began using hockey helmets others used headgear on the market like “bump caps” other were more of the looks rather than protection. By the 1980’s many different styles of helmets were made, but no one knew which brand/style was the best. The Snell Foundation and WABA’s helmet committee put together a test to see which helmet was the best. There were around 20 helmets that they tested, and the Bell Biker, updated MSR, and the Bailen Bike Bucket were the best ones. In 1984 the ANSI headgear committee took on the ANSI Z80.4 which was the first workable bike helmet standard for the U.S. The Snell Foundation fixed their standard the next year to make more realistic levels for bicycle riding impacts. Within the next year the ANSI standard took over the market and the old “helmets” were gone (in some instances because of lawsuits).
In the mid-1980’s bike helmets had EPS foam liners, with ABS or polycarbonate hard shells. Almost all of them had the strap design shaped like a Y on each side. For the buckles many had d-rings or plastic buckles that were made by …show more content…
So they tested how well helmets withstood forces of impact and crash tests when covering human skulls. They found that wearing a helmet can reduce up to 87% the acceleration experienced by the skull during an impact and it can help the skull in resisting forces up to 470 pounds in a crush accident. (AANS)
Bike helmets have saved many peoples’ lives. For instance, Ryan Lipscomb was biking through Madison, Wisconsin when he tried to avoid a turning truck and flipped on to the pavement. The truck ran over his head and left tread marks on his helmet. Lipscomb only suffered a concussion and is still around to tell people the story. (Inskeep)
In Urbandale, Iowa 4-year-old Eli Dobbs was run over by a truck. He had just gotten off his bike and was wearing his bike helmet when his younger brother shifted the truck into neutral. It rolled toward him and ran over the top of his helmet. The shape and slickness of the helmet helped push his head out of the way. It could have and most likely would have killed him if he wasn’t wearing a helmet. He only suffered a couples bruises and scratches.