Smart Hat cycle helmet inventor to take idea to NSW government

Usually, articles about cycle helmets here on road.cc polarise opinion. Not so last week's piece on the Smart Hat, a conceptual design from Australia – most of you thought it was bonkers, and a few wondered whether April First had come round unusually quickly.

Undeterred, intrepid designer Toby King plans to take his invention to the New South Wales government, and he also says he has people interested in investing in his idea.

A quick recap. Cycle helmets are compulsory in Australia, but the Smart Hat, currently on the drawing board, is unlike any other.

To say it has bells and whistles is a supreme understatement.

It incorporates – we’ll take a deep breath here – brake lights, left and right indicators, rear view mirrors, proximity sensors, a camera, a visor, a housing for a smartphone, and space for a licence plate at the rear.

Oh, and windscreen wipers, among other things.

Earlier this month, Mr King presented his idea to councillors in Mosman, an upmarket suburb of Sydney.

Some councillors welcomed the design, but ultimately the council knocked it back because it could not endorse a commercial product, albeit one that is still at the design stage.

So Mr King, at the suggestion of Mosman Council, now plans to show his invention to Staysafe, the New South Wales state government’s committee on road safety.

Mr King says it will cost around A$500,000 (£250,000) to get his idea to the prototype stage, and claims the helmet may ultimately be available for A$200 (£100).

Whether, given the number of features he plans to pack into it, that is a realistic price is a moot point.

An article on the website of Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph adds that since news of the idea broke last week, he has had expressions of interest from potential sponsors and people wanting to endorse it.