Bicycle helmets sold in the United States must meet government standards, but new tests show that some of them protect heads better than others. New safety ratings for 30 popular adult-size models reflected a range of performance in concussion protection. Just four helmets earned the highest rating of 5 stars. The two worst performers earned 2 stars, and the remaining 24 were rated in the 3-4 star range. Cost wasn’t a good predictor of performance. Both the $200 Bontrager Ballista MIPS and the $75 Specialized Chamonix MIPS earned 5 stars.
Those are the highlights of results released on Tuesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a nonprofit financed by the insurance industry, and the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, which evaluates other types of sports head protection.
The new bike helmet rating system is a collaborative effort by both groups, which called the testing program the first of its kind. The number of stars assigned to each helmet represents how effectively that model reduces overall injury risk.
“As more people choose the bicycle as a mode of transportation, better helmet design is one of the tools that can be used to address the increasing number of cycling injuries,” David Zuby, chief research officer at the institute and a frequent bike commuter, said in a statement.
More than 800 cyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2016 – the highest number since 1991. More than half weren’t wearing helmets. Bicycle helmets have been shown to reduce the risk of head injuries by an estimated 50 percent, but consumers who wanted to buy one that offers the best protection have had little information to go on, according to the report.
The goal of the ratings is to bring a new level of safety by creating a tool to help cyclists make informed decisions about how to reduce their risk of injury and to help manufacturers make improvements, Steve Rowson, director of the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab and an associate professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics said in a statement.
The lab tested each helmet at six commonly impacted locations. The researchers said studies of bicycle crashes have found that a large number of head impacts are at the helmet rim. The new analysis included robust testing of the entire helmet, including two at the rim, the angle of head impact common during crashes, and speed, areas that were found to be shortcomings in some federal and other testing programs. Overall, the new program was based on studies of real-world bike crashes and and relies on a more realistic evaluation than government testing, the report said.
Of the four 5-star helmets in the initial test group, all are equipped with a Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS), a technology that creates a low-friction layer inside the helmet.
“The idea behind MIPS is that, when the helmet hits the road and sticks initially due to the high friction, your head actually slides relative to the helmet,” Megan Bland, a Virginia Tech doctoral student who conducted much of the research for the new ratings, said in a statement, noting that the slip plane reduces the rotational forces that jostle the brain, causing concussions and other injuries.
Helmet style also played a role in performance, researches found. Road helmets, which have an elongated, aerodynamic shape tended to perform better than “urban” helmets, which have a more rounded shape with fewer vents and thicker shells. The lab plans to test more adult helmets, including mountain bike, skate/BMX, as well as youth helmets. Updates will be posted on its website as new ratings are released.
Helmets are listed from best to worst within rating categories.
Best Available — 5 Stars
Bontrager Ballista MIPS
Garneau Raid MIPS
Bell Stratus MIPS
Specialized Chamonix MIPS
Very Good –4 Stars
Scott ARX Plus MIPS
Bontrager Quantum MIPS
Specialized Prevail II
Smith Overtake
Giro Savant
Bell Draft MIPS
POC Octal
Giro Foray MIPS
Giro Synthe
Giro Sutton MIPS
Specialized Evade II
Garneau Le Tour II
Good– 3 Stars
Triple 8 Dual Certified MIPS
Bell Reflex
Bontrager Solstice
Bern Brentwood
Bell Division
Schwinn Thrasher
Giro Revel
Schwinn Flash
Kali City
Nutcase Street
Specialized Centro
Bontrager Electra
Adequate — 2 Stars
Lazer Genesis
Bern Watts
