How this Virginia-based lab is helping bicyclists with safety in mind

Those in the market for a new bike helmet have a handy new resource they can refer to in order to pick the safest option, and it’s thanks to the work of a lab based in Virginia.

“We spent a lot of time trying to figure out how we can get these data in the hands of consumers so that they can make informed decisions,” said Steve Rowson, professor of biomedical engineering mechanics at Virginia Tech and director of the Helmet Lab.

“A helmet is a safety product, and it should be held accountable for how safe it is,” he added.

Rowson said the lab has come up with a ranking system that’s now in many sporting goods stores. A five star helmet is the best. Many manufacturers of helmets now have Virginia Tech’s rating on their tags.

“As people are browsing the helmets in the store, you can see what the rating of that helmet is, and it’s really allowed us to expand our reach and educate people on the protective performance of these helmets,” he said.

Rowson said helmet safety has come a long way.

“The best helmet, way back in 2011 when we first released, would be the worst helmet today. So there’s really good improvement in head protection that’s available to people in the field,” he said.

Thanks to the helmet safety rating system developed by the Helmet Lab, consumers now have access to critical data that can guide their purchasing decisions.

“It’s going to help people looking to buy a helmet have an idea of how it’s going to perform because that type of information is not typically available,” he added.

He said choosing the right helmet could be the difference between a minor injury and a life-threatening one.

“Sometimes, those differences could be over 50% in risk reduction,” he said.

Find the safety rankings for helmets on the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab website.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.