EVALUATION AND REPLICATION OF IMPACT DAMAGE TO BICYCLE HELMETS

A group of 72 impacted bicycle helmets were collected, primarily from manufacturers with a crash replacement policy that encourages the retu rn of damaged helmets. Each damaged helmet was thoroughly inspected an d measured to determine the construction details and collision damage. Laboratory replication tests were then performed on selected samples using exemplar helmets to determine impact velocity and peak headform aceleration. The predominant impact location was the front left quarte r and the replication studies indicate that the majority of impacts to ok place on flat surfaces from drop heights of 1 meter or less. Overal l, it is evident that a large number of bicycle helmet users who have benefited from the use of a bicycle helmet, and future bicycle helmet standards must incorporate the protective requirements of this unique group.