FROM CONSUMER REPORTS:
Wearing a helmet is important any time you get on any type of bike. Yet many electric bikes can reach speeds that casual riders won’t on a conventional bike. “If I were riding [an e-bike], I would want more protection” than many typical bike helmets offer, says Randy Swart, executive director of the nonprofit Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute and former vice chair of the helmet and headgear subcommittee for ASTM International, a nonprofit, voluntary standards-setting organization.
THE ROLE OF SPEED
Electric bike riders tend to average higher speeds than conventional cyclists, according to a white paper reviewing research on the topic (PDF) prepared for People for Bikes, a bicycling advocacy organization. The maximum speed of an electric bike can be 20 or even 28 miles per hour, depending on its type—and there are bikes sometimes sold as e-bikes that go even faster. Research indicates that traumatic brain injury rates are similar for electric bike riders and conventional cyclists, though higher velocity at the time of an accident is associated with an increased risk for a traumatic brain injury or a concussion.
Helmets That Meet the Dutch Electric Bike Standard
Riders could also look for helmets certified to meet a Dutch standard created specifically for e-bikes, NTA 8776. This standard requires helmets to have more protection on the sides and back of the head, like that found on many skate- and urban commuter-style helmets. Some of the helmets in that style in CR’s ratings are certified to meet the NTA 8776 standard.
To read the original article in Consumer Reports, CLICK HERE.
Wearing a helmet is important any time you get on any type of bike. Yet many electric bikes can reach speeds that casual riders won’t on a conventional bike. “If I were riding [an e-bike], I would want more protection” than many typical bike helmets offer, says Randy Swart, executive director of the nonprofit Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute and former vice chair of the helmet and headgear subcommittee for ASTM International, a nonprofit, voluntary standards-setting organization.
THE ROLE OF SPEED
Electric bike riders tend to average higher speeds than conventional cyclists, according to a white paper reviewing research on the topic (PDF) prepared for People for Bikes, a bicycling advocacy organization. The maximum speed of an electric bike can be 20 or even 28 miles per hour, depending on its type—and there are bikes sometimes sold as e-bikes that go even faster. Research indicates that traumatic brain injury rates are similar for electric bike riders and conventional cyclists, though higher velocity at the time of an accident is associated with an increased risk for a traumatic brain injury or a concussion.
Helmets That Meet the Dutch Electric Bike Standard
Riders could also look for helmets certified to meet a Dutch standard created specifically for e-bikes, NTA 8776. This standard requires helmets to have more protection on the sides and back of the head, like that found on many skate- and urban commuter-style helmets. Some of the helmets in that style in CR’s ratings are certified to meet the NTA 8776 standard.
To read the original article in Consumer Reports, CLICK HERE.
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