AN IMPROVED CYCLING HELMET TECHNOLOGY TO MITIGATE HEAD INJURIES

Authors

Carlos Zerpa, Lakehead UniversityFollow
Meilan Liu, Lakehead UniversityFollow
Shashankdhwaj Parihar, Lakehead UniversityFollow

Category

Cycling

Document Type

Paper

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which cycling helmet paddings made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material mitigated impact accelerations in a cycling helmet to reduce the likelihood of concussions. The results of this study indicate that the TPU paddings mitigate peak linear acceleration between 8.37% and 25.48%, and reduce the risk of head injury, as measured by the Gadd Severity Index (GSI) scores, ranging 20.97% to 27.62% across helmet impact locations. This information becomes useful for researchers, cyclist and helmet designers because it provides an avenue to improve cycling helmet capabilities in minimizing the risk of traumatic brain injuries due to a head impact.

Recommended Citation

Zerpa, Carlos; Liu, Meilan; and Parihar, Shashankdhwaj (2020) "AN IMPROVED CYCLING HELMET TECHNOLOGY TO MITIGATE HEAD INJURIES," ISBS Proceedings Archive: Vol. 38: Iss. 1, Article 22.
Available at: https://commons.nmu.edu/isbs/vol38/iss1/22