Jason Ford

Smelly cycle helmet could save lives

News

German research scientists have devised a method of embedding capsules of odoriferous oil into plastics, a development that could lead to the improved integrity of safety-critical components.

The process has been developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Freiburg in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen.

The polymer materials produced by the process start to smell if they develop small cracks. One application could be in cycle helmets as it is difficult to ascertain if the protective headwear is damaged after an impact.

Duncan Vernon, road safety manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) told The Engineer that it is important to replace helmets involved in an impact because they may not give the user the level of protection that they would expect in subsequent impacts.

Vernon added that there is often uncertainly over how severe an impact needs to be before a helmet needs to be replaced.

‘Therefore, designing in an indicator will hopefully help cyclists to make an informed judgements about when to replace a helmet,’ he said.

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