Can bike helmets handle a crash against a car? Ask Volvo

Volvo Cars and POC develop world-first car-bike helmet crash test

IF A cyclist hit — or was hit — by a car, can his or her helmet offer any protection?

This is among the concerns aimed to be addressed in a new partnership between Volvo Cars and top Swedish sports and safety brand POC. The two companies are now developing a series of world-first tests in which bike helmets are crashed against cars. Volvo said the research project seeks to further protect cyclists.

The carmaker noted accidents between bikes and vehicles can often lead to serious injury or death, which is why it has a clear strategy to avoid these types of accidents completely by way of active safety technologies.

Volvo cited as example its cyclist detection with full auto brake, which uses the car’s cameras and radars to detect cyclists, warn the driver of an imminent collision, and apply the brakes if further action is needed. It is a development of the company’s automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection systems.

Volvo Cars and POC develop world-first car-bike helmet crash test

Volvo said its research project with POC consists of specially designed crash tests to be conducted at the company’s safety research facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden, and is part of a wider research project to understand the types of long-term injuries sustained by cyclists.

In the tests, POC bike helmets are worn by crash dummy heads mounted on a testing rig, from where these are launched toward different areas of the hood of a static Volvo, at different speeds and angles for various measurements.

The tests are based on existing regulatory test procedures for pedestrian head protection. This allows Volvo and POC to make a direct comparison between wearing a helmet and not wearing a helmet.

According to Volvo, current bike helmet testing procedures are rudimentary, involving helmets being dropped from different heights on either a flat or an angled surface, and do not take into account vehicle-to-bike crashes.

Volvo said its project with POC aims to further refine and advance such testing.

It added the research findings will help POC make its helmets safer and more protective in the event of a car-bike accident, while the tests will also provide Volvo with more information regarding these types of accidents.

“This project with POC is a good example of our pioneering spirit in safety,” said Malin Ekholm, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Center. “We often develop new testing methods for challenging traffic scenarios. Our aim is not only to meet legal requirements or pass rating tests. Instead we go beyond ratings, using real traffic situations to develop technology that further improves safety.”