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PSA: Know your helmet’s safety rating

I had a little incident while riding in the rain this morning. I’m fine, the bike is fine. Ignoring a few scratches. But, I do need a new helmet, so while I was checking out the site below to find a new helmet, it occurred to me that it was probably worth sharing this gem. Enjoy.

In collaboration with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, we have rated a total of 102 bike helmets using the STAR evaluation system. Our bicycle helmet impact tests evaluate a helmet’s ability to reduce linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the head resulting from a range of impacts a cyclist might experience. Helmets with more stars provide a reduction in concussion risk for these impacts compared to helmets with less stars.

Wearing a helmet is most important and can be the difference between life and death in the event of a crash. These ratings supplement standards by providing additional information on which helmets best reduce concussion risk. For bike helmets, we recommend any 4 or 5 star helmet. While there are some differences in impact performance within these groups, other factors such as cost, fit, and comfort should be considered when purchasing a helmet.

Virginia Tech

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