Active Transportation Alliance Uses Science To Solve The Helmet Debate

By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 4, 2013 4:20PM

I've worn a helmet biking Chicago's streets for so long that strapping one to my head has become second nature. The thought of biking without a helmet is uncomfortable for me.

Yet there is a vocal segment of bicyclists who contend that wearing helmets is a waste of time; the argument is a mass of plastic and styrofoam won't save you from brain trauma if you're in an accident.

Jason Jenkins, an educational specialist at the Active Transportation Alliance, and former Active Trans staffer Jeff Rhodes decided to put the helmet theory to the test with the closest thing to a head—melons.

Jenkins and Rhodes used small watermelons (one with a helmet attached to it, the other without) to show how a bike helmet will protect bicyclists from a traumatic head injury if they were involved in an accident. They used Go Pro cameras to slow down the testing for dramatic effect and may have had a bit too much fun in the process. Peep, peeps!

As you can see from the video, both melons were damaged, but the one in the bike helmet was still largely intact. This may not be enough to sway the most dogmatic individuals in the "helmets are bunk" camp but Active Trans marketing and communications director Ethan Spotts told Chicagoist "our policy on bike helmets is the same as it is for seat belts in automobiles—it won't prevent a crash but, if you wind up in an accident, you want it handy as it may reduce the risk of serious injury."

And now, some outtakes. (I couldn't see surviving having a block slammed on my helmet-clad head, either. But stranger things have happened.)