Cycling is relaxing and fun. Much enthused by the success of Olympic bronze medal winner Lee Wai-sze, more Hong Kong people will probably take up cycling for leisure. However, one should never neglect the safety protection gears against injuries.
Statistics provided by Hong Kong Police on traffic accidents last year showed that 11% of all vehicles involved were bicycles. There were 2,194 casualties for cyclists, a 24% increase compared with 2010. A total of 19 cyclists were killed in bicycle accidents last year, almost double the number of 10 deaths in 2010.
A cyclist without a bicycle helmet, which is designed to reduce the risk of head injury in an accident, is recklessly courting for injury. It is therefore crucial to have the helmet which can be relied on to offer adequate protection in times of need.
With this objective in mind, the Consumer Council has put 23 models of adult and child bicycle helmets to test to assess their performance on shock absorption, effectiveness strength of retention system and ventilation etc.
The test revealed that the overall performance of some less expensive models was quite impressive.
Coordinated by the International Consumer Research and Testing, the test covered a total of 23 bicycle helmet models on sale or intended for sale in Hong Kong: 13 were made for adults and 10 for children.
The prices of the helmets differ substantially, ranging from HK$198 to HK$1,619 for the adult models and HK$290 to HK$590 for the child models
The more expensive helmets do not guarantee better performance. The test results revealed that some adult helmets in the medium price range demonstrated outstanding overall performance, and for the kid helmets, the lower price range models showed better performance.
Highlight of the test results includes:
Kid Helmets
- 1 model was found to have poor shock absorption capability under an impact test.
- 1 model failed the retention test: during the test, the helmet came off from the headform.
- 4 models were found to have low visibility at night.
- 2 models were found to have few vent holes which reduced ventilation.
Adult Helmets
- 2 models were found to have poor shock absorption capability.
- 1 model performed poorly in the retention test.
- 5 models were found to have low visibility at night.
- 5 models were found to have few vent holes which reduced ventilation.
On the test for hazardous contents, some parts of 2 kid models were detected to contain Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), with the detected amounts lower than the limit specified in the guidelines set under a German voluntary labelling scheme on consumer products containing plastics.
Moreover, 1 adult helmet model and 2 kid helmet models were found to contain plasticizers on the pad or chin strap. The amount of the plasticizer DINP detected in one of the kid models was 16%, which is the highest among all models.
Test results of models containing plasticizers have been sent to the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) for follow up. After consulting medical experts, the C&ED advised that those models should pose no health hazards under normal usage.
Consumers are advised to take heed of the following when they choose helmets:
- Try out different models to find the one that best suits your head shape.
- Night riders should consider helmets of lighter colour, or with light-reflective strips or LED flash lights.
- Check the manufacture date of the helmet: the newer the better.
- Never buy or wear a helmet with visible dents or cracks. Do not use a helmet which had been rammed.
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