New High-Tech Motorcycle Helmet Design Could Make Riding Safer

Motorcycle safety is based to a large degree on helmet use. There is no helmet law in Illinois despite the evidence that shows helmet use decreases motorcycle-related deaths and injuries, and that the economic benefits of universal helmet laws greatly exceed costs according to recommendations from the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF).  There is a new, high-tech motorcycle helmet in development that could help make riding a motorcycle a lot safer. Maybe if all helmets were this cool it would be easier to get more people to wear them.

The stylish, new helmet that blends technology and safety

A Japanese design studio, Borderless, has produced a new, high tech motorcycle helmet called Cross Helmet, which features a heads-up display, cameras, a communication system and noise-reducing sound control, which is run by an onboard computer. Yes: it’s a motorcycle helmet that has an on-board computer. It also has GPS navigation, weather reporting and front and rear-facing cameras for a 360-degree field of vision. There is a video that captures what a rider sees from within the helmet on the company's website.

Motorcycle helmet safety

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that motorcycle helmets saved 1,772 lives in 2015, and if every motorcyclist had worn a helmet in 2015, 740 more lives could have been saved. The CDC estimates that helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and the risk of head injury by 69%. But helmets can only save lives if riders wear them, and when there is a mandatory helmet law, more riders wear motorcycle helmets. Dr. Thomas Friedan, former director of the CDC, said “universal helmet laws are the most effective way to reduce the number of deaths and traumatic brain injuries that result from crashes."

A story in the Chicago Tribune reported on the 24% spike in motorcycle deaths in Illinois in 2015 from the previous year's number. The Illinois department of Transportation reported that there were 116 fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 2014 and 2,481 injuries. In 2014, 1.2% of all traffic crashes that occurred in Illinois involved motorcycles, yet those crashes accounted for13.0% of all traffic fatalities. Of the motorcycle operators that were killed in Illinois motorcycle crashes in 2014, 92% were male and the largest age demographic was between 21-34 years-old.

The new Cross Helmet is, according to the manufacturer, the “next generation motorcycle helmet,” a rider does not require such a high-tech helmet to be safe in an accident. Wearing a Department of Transportation approved helmet, protective clothing and reflective gear will help increase the rider's safety by adding more protection than a bare head has when it hits the pavement in a crash, and making the rider more visible to other drivers.

You can call Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers 312-600-9585 or fill out our contact form today, when you have sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence. Our team of Chicago motorcycle lawyers are here to help when you need us the most.