Coming to a head near you soon? Cycling helmet with integrated airbag is one step closer to reality as POC patent approved

Following the initial announcement of their collaboration in 2022 to create a helmet equipped with airbag technology, cycling helmet brand POC and automotive safety system specialists Autoliv have successfully patented the design, that the Swedish companies claim will provide superior head protection for cyclists. 

This technology is intended to complement a hardshell helmet, which serves as the secondary energy absorber. Interestingly, the patent comes not too long after Hövding, another pioneer in airbag 'helmet' tech for cyclists, filed for bankruptcy in December 2023. Hövding's head protection device shares some similarities with POC's design, in that the airbag is activated in the event of an incident, but it's worn like a collar/snood rather than looking like a traditional bike helmet. 

While Hövding's device was lauded for its safety performance, it also received criticism for activating when it wasn't supposed to, and followed by the latest iteration of the product, the Swedish consumer watchdog ordered a halt to sales as well as a product recall of the latest version of the Hövding airbag. 

> Airbag cycle helmet triggered as man put coat on was being used incorrectly, says manufacturer

POC and Autoliv's partnership, combined with the new patent, positions them quite favourably to potentially fill the gap left by Hövding and lead the way in airbag helmet technology. But let's refresh our minds about what the POC helmet is actually like…

POC and Autoliv airbag helmet design

The helmet consists of a conventional protective main body made of lightweight foamed plastic material, similar to standard bicycle helmets, providing initial protection. But the special thing with it is the airbag system is designed to deploy during an incident to add an extra layer of head protection. 

How do the airbags 'know' when to inflate, then? The patent says the helmet includes an inflator connected to the airbag and an actuation mechanism equipped with acceleration sensors:

"In case of an accident that leads to a typical “accident acceleration” the airbag deploys because it is filled with gas from the inflator and thus extends from the outer surface of the protective main body and thus enhances the thickness of the helmet at least in sections.

"This means that additional “protection depth” is provided for the head. Of course, this additional “protection depth” leads to improved protection. Because the head is not protected by the airbag alone, the deployed airbag can be relatively soft such that too quick acceleration can be avoided when the airbag helmet hits an obstacle like a part of a car or a street surface."

The patent also says that because of the hard shell, akin to that of traditional bike helmets, the helmet will provide protection even in scenarios where the head hits an obstacle without prior acceleration or deceleration, in situations "when the head of the bicycle rider hits a low hanging branch of a tree or a similar obstacle". 

In 2022, Autoliv said that its tests found the addition of airbag technology on top of the helmet “can significantly contribute to enhanced safety performance, especially in linear impacts.”

Linear impacts are direct, where the force is applied to the helmet in one direction, as opposed to angled impacts which cause rotational motion. Angled impacts are something that helmet technology has focused a lot on, with protection systems such as Mips and WG11 now featuring in ever more helmets to reduce rotational motion by redirecting energies and forces otherwise transmitted to the brain.

> Kask WG11 vs MIPS: which cycling helmet technology is best?

Do we need another helmet design, or cycling airbags? 

Whether we need an airbag helmet is for sure a divisive question, as is the general need for helmet wear and regulation in general. It is unarguable, though, that the current helmet designs have stayed much the same for decades, perhaps calling for more innovation to bring their safety up to modern standards.

Helmets have been in the headlines a lot in the past week, following British celebrity chef and TV presenter Gordon Ramsay's call for all cyclists to wear a helmet, "regardless of how short the journey is or how expensive it might be", after being involved in a crash that left him with trauma and a terrible bruise. The chef's statement coincided with that of the Dutch government calling on cyclists to wear helmets, and rather unpredictably the whole of the UK media were quick to join in on the debate on whether cyclists should be required to wear a helmet by law. 

Back in 2022 when we first reported on POC's airbag helmet, the brand reported that head injuries are a leading cause of cyclist fatalities, with many incidents occurring at speeds above 20 km/h (12.5 mph).

It also referred to the Bicycle Safety report by Swedish insurance company Folksam – which also independently tests helmets – highlighting the need for improved helmet absorption efficiency, particularly for collisions involving cars. The same report said that with the rise of e-bikes allowing commuters to travel at higher speeds, the need for enhanced head protection has never been more critical.

Folksam's most recent " Bicycle Helmets 2023 - Tested by Folksam" report doesn't really paint a rosy picture about the current state of helmet safety – even for those lids that meet the standards.

Folksam concluded: "A conventional helmet that meets current EN 1078 standard does not prevent a cyclist from sustaining a concussion in the event of a head impact. In addition to an improved performance regarding the protection of rotational loading, helmets also need to absorb energy more effectively.

"The safety standard EN 1078 that needs to be met for any bicycle helmet sold in the EU to obtain the CE mark should be seen as a minimum requirement. The potential outcome is that bicycle helmets meeting the EN 1078 standard requirements may not sufficiently protect in real-life collisions or falls."

When it comes to helmet laws, in Sweden, wearing a helmet while riding is only mandatory if you're 15 years old or younger. The law doesn't apply to children cycling by themselves, but a parent cycling with a helmet-less child can be fined up to 500SEK (£37). 

Whether POC's airbag helmet is the next big thing in bike helmets, and whether it adds that protection beyond the minimum standard requirements... well, we'll need to wait and see if it makes it into full production.