Bell Sweep - The Anatomy Of A Crashed Bike Helmet

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 I was involved in a car bicycle accident this past Saturday and suspect I initially impacted the pavement with my forehead.Not a good idea to lead with one's head but it happened so fast that it was unavoidable.

 Bike helmets work. Plain and simple they work to prevent more SERIOUS injuries from occuring. I walked away apparently unconcussed from the accident thanks to a Bell Sweep helmet. I recall hitting the ground on my forehead just past the hairline then shoulder rolling towards the curbside. The force of the impact was enough to cause a large contusion on my forehead.The second picture is today as the swelling has gone down but is beginning to bruise.




Having checked the helmet yesterday to see how it faired in the crash I was surprised to see that it appears to have remained intact. Further investigations revealed how the foam shell worked as it was designed by absorbing the blunt impact forces. I painted the cracks for better visuals. Essentially the whole front of the Sweep compressed and cracked rather than my skull.




The front of the helmet shows the impact site at the brim of the Sweep with road scrapes beginning on the logo and reaching 4 inches back towards the peak of the lid.



Thanks Bell. You have been my helmet of choice and will remain so in the future.Well done!

Comments

Kay Jones said…
If you send your helmet back to Bell they will send you a replacement helmet (not as nice as the original but still handy to have as a spare) as well as a certificate that reads "Saved by the Bell"

They study your busted helmet to find ways to improve protection.
5:28 AM
Bicycle Boy said…
Giro also has a helmet Crash Replacement Policy, as do others I'm sure. Assuming the motorist was at fault, their insurance company should replace any damaged clothes / parts / accessories from the crash, so hold onto the helmet until they verify it and then send it off.

I was involved in a crash 2.5 years ago, and my bike was written off. I had to fight a little, but the insurance company replaced bike, helmet, gloves, etc. I'd gladly have given all that up to not be injured for almost two years, though! Glad you're holding up okay.
5:30 AM
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