Most cyclists have a plan for a puncture. Far fewer have one for a substantial crash on a quiet road with no one around.
Emergency medicine uses the idea of a "golden hour" after a substantial injury, but the window isn't a fixed 60 minutes. The principle is really about getting rapid treatment to the casualty. For solo cyclists in remote areas, the hard part is that help can't come until someone knows there's been a crash and where it happened.
What Crash Sensors do
Crash sensors fit to a helmet, or are built into one, and watch for a sudden, forceful impact. Specialised sensors also send a signal to the cyclist's smartphone when they sense an impact. If the cyclist can't cancel the countdown, their chosen contacts are notified with the last known GPS coordinates.
These systems are a useful safety net for solo riding, shortening the gap between a crash and the right help arriving.
Location is Only Half the Story
A cyclist who has had a heavy knock to the head may feel fine and carry on, even though a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can show no visible signs at all, yet may lead to headaches, fatigue, disorientation and irritability.
Helmets have the same problem. Official guidance states that a bicycle helmet is designed for one impact, and any damage may not be visible. A helmet that looks fine after a fall can still have lost much of its ability to protect you.
Where Impact Detect Fits in
Impact Detect takes a different approach from stick-on aftermarket gadgets. Our technology is designed to be integrated into virtually any helmet, within the liner, and is small and virtually weightless. It uses low-power Bluetooth and a small internal battery to monitor continuously for impacts over a set threshold, with no wiring or charging required.
When an impact crosses that threshold, the sensor records the data, which can then be downloaded via our mobile app. That tells a cyclist whether a new helmet or medical attention is needed. In BLE-enabled systems, automatic SOS messages can be sent to pre-set contacts after a high-impact event. It works for commuters, leisure cyclists and competitive cyclists alike, and it's very much "fit and forget".
Ride Smart, Plan Ahead
Technology helps, but it doesn't replace the basics: tell someone your route and when to expect you back, ride in the same kind of conditions and replace your helmet after a substantial impact.
Interested in impact monitoring for cycling helmets? Find out more about Impact Detect for cycling.