$1.50 Paper Bike Helmet Concept Makes Bike Share Programs Safer

did you really ask about its longevity its a buck and a half… my greatest concern would be the protection it truly offers…

Here comes the helmet war debate and I want in.

Staying safe on your city bike first and foremost is about rider awareness and not crashing in the first place. You are not automatically ‘unsafe’ if you ride in the city (at relatively slow speeds) without a helmet.

My rule is tight clothes, or clicky shoes + speed = helmet.
City bike, street clothes – speed = no helmet See also Netherlands and Copenhagen.

So next time, just write, “here’s somebody making egg cartons for your head”, not “unfortuately people aren’t safe rididng bike share sans casque”

Need or not, it is a perception issue for the do-gooders.

You may be doing everything correctly but if a driver or fellow commuter isn’t it can still present the need for a helmet. Personally, I don’t see the reason to ever not wear a helmet.. especially when they’re a buck and a half and easy to get/discard.

What about the possibility of someone you know seeing you in this hideous thing?

All helmets sold in the US must pass CPSC standards. These will have to be given away.

I want mine made from shredded money, thanks.

This isn’t an ‘Onion’ spoof?

The only reason the ride share programs would be safer with this helmet is because there would be fewer people biking as a result of that embarrassing thing on their head.

@jonny
Bicycle helmets have not been demonstrated to be effective in crashes involving motor vehicles.

Wow. There’s a lot of helmet hate here. For the record, you’re intellect is failing if you think that anyone believes that helmets reduce the chances of being in an accident. It’s also possible that you’re just stirring the pot when you say that. I imagine that few here are actually qualified to determine in what circumstances enough energy will be developed to incur a head injury. For the record, a fall from seat height is enough.

It’s terribly interesting that an article about a helmet must be about fear mongering. Obviously there’s no bias whatsoever in such a claim, right?

Now without all the pointless distractions regarding whether someone dislikes helmets, wears helmets, or whatever out of the way, there are things about this paper helmet that do generate reasonable questions:

1. Helmet fit affects how well helmet works, so how do the makers of this helmet address that?
2. How will this helmet handle secondary or tertiary impacts? That’s a significant concern.
3. The helmet’s behavior in the wet is a valid concern. No one wants their helmet going all pear shaped right before an accident because the helmet got wet.

Only testing will answer those questions. Certainly if the helmet can’t pass the testing, it’s not worth $1.50.

Most people who don’t wear helmets don’t have anything worth protecting!

Make mine red!

http://itm.im/t01vl

Where is Darwin when you need him?

I like it.
When you’re finished wearing it, you can hang it upside down and use it for petunias.

Actually, its longevity is a good question. If we are going to try to keep the masses safe from themselves, which is what this is all about, then you have to consider that some doofus is going to wear this thing over and over.

I don’t like the idea of associating bikes (which are clean and efficient) with something that is intended to be disposable. I know they are recyclable, but plenty of them will still end up as landfill.

Actually, it turns out that expensive motorcycle helmets are less effective for most real world crashes because they are designed to absorb high speed impacts and thus don’t deform and crush as easily at low speeds. What that means is that at lower speeds the expensive helmet imparts more force to your head than a cheaper helmet does.

Bit late for April Fool’s isn’t it??

Finding it very hard to believe that is passing the CE EN1078 standard (which is pretty easy to pass for helmet standards).

Super cool idea, but I think it’s going to take more corrugations and perhaps a recycled PET shell to really be useful in a bike share environment. Just my 2c.

And for the record, riding in a city on a strange bike is PRECISELY where you want a helmet most.

@Everett: does the pavement get softer when you’re riding a city bike and going nice and slow?
not that i believe this egg carton will actually do anything except make your first responders laugh, while you slowly bleed out, in the event of a crash

@ JH:

Best comment among the many good ones! Kudos and +1

(PS: I almost couldn’t wait for the BR page to load once I saw the title and the picture. I too though either The Onion or Kickstarter…awesome!)

Crippled mule, doctors always tell you that the helmet saved your life. It makes you feel proactive about something that you had no control over. Aids the recovery.

I collided head first with a high-sided vehicle and was left concussed. Don’t remember much of the minutes on each side of the incident.

I’m still here and just fine, and you know what? If I’d been wearing a helmet I can bet you a million bucks people would be saying, “the helmet saved your life”.

@ham-planet. You’re telling me you would rather hit your head off of the ground with nothing on it? You’re right that would definitely feel the same. Im talking about staples in your head not a concussion.

Government agencies drop 85% helmet benefit claim:
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1207.html?NKey=103

http://chillikebab.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/the-whisperers/

A TED Talk look at helmet usage:
http://video.tedxcopenhagen.dk/video/911034/mikael-colville-andersen