Dash and Stash: Stash Folding Bike Helmet
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 08.18.07
Earlier this year in Germany, the courts decided that a bicyclist shares responsibility for pain and suffering from head injuries received in an accident if they are not wearing a helmet(1). So although it is not required by law to wear a helmet, bicyclists may be entitled to substantially less compensation in the event of an accident.
Of course, any urban warrior amid the tons of pollution-spewing steel claiming ownership of the roads knows that the head is only a small part of the utterly naked exposure cyclists feel. Those of us wearing helmets are motivated mostly by "umbrella karma": if you wear your helmet, you won't crash, akin to the observation that it only rains when you forget your brolly.
But even the most committed safety advocate faces that awkward moment, trying to figure where to stash their melon-mantle at the shop or during the train stretch of a bike-ride-bike commute. The Stash provides a solution. The sides of this helmet fold in, significantly reducing the helmet's volume to the point where it could be stored in a corner of a briefcase or backpack. A video of the helmet design in the anvil-drop test demonstrates that the unique concept surpasses the safety requirements for impact reduction.
So far the only retailers mentioned for the Stash are UK based. The helmet has Europe's CE certification but seems to lack the safety credentials for sale in the USA. The list price is just under 50 pounds sterling. Stash is the perfect companion to your freaky folding bike, but will work just fine with the standard selection of folding bikes as well.
(1) OLG Düsseldorf, Aktenzeichen: I - 1 U 182/06
via ::Hatpac
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this just seems stupid. Sure the anvil test worked dropping straight down but really how many accidents are going to happen like that? Mostly you'll hit in front or on the side. And since the sides pop out here won't they do that in a collision too?
===auth note.===
If you look closely at the tables summarizing the test results, you will see that different tests are performed for front, back and side impacts. We looked with particular interest at the side impact, suspecting that weakness would be evident: but in fact the side test is comparable with the other tests.
I wouldn't think the fact the helmet folds would make much if any difference in the performance of the helmet.
They work by the foam crushing to absorb impact. As long as the helmet stays in position on your head during an impact the foam will still be there to absorb the impact. The rigidity of the helmet as a whole has nothing to do with absorbing impact, but can be important in keeping the foam on your head, A lot of people think a cracked helmet shows it absorbed an impact, but most helmets are pretty brittle and will crack easily. The cracking doesn't absorb any of the impact.
The main problem that might occur with a folding helmet is that it might not stay on your head as well as a rigid helmet. The straps would have to be designed to work well with the folding potentials of the helmet.