We’ve seen much innovation in the way to measure helmet impact, and this isn’t just to determine what effect the impact had on the wearer but now the helmet as well. The reasoning is that with each significant hit or impact the protective value of that helmet actually decreases. This in turn means that a helmet that protected on one impact might not protect as well the next time. The Brain Injury Association of Canada noted recently that the lifespan of helmet is often overlooked and that proper helmet care should be part of a regular routine to make sure that the helmet provides maximum protection.
Testing has shown there is as much as a 30 percent increase in the risk of injury every time a significant impact involving a helmet occurs. The Impact-Alert sensor is new technology that can be installed on a helmet and let users know when a helmet could have sustained a significant impact that might warrant replacing it. The company has sensors that are designed for football, hockey and alpine models available now, with baseball, cycling and lacrosse models in development.
“Today, sports participants are under a false sense of security that helmets are good for as long as their child’s head fits in them,” says Jim Blumsom, President of Impact-Alert Sport Systems said in a statement. “Parents have no way of knowing when their helmets have taken a significant impact and should look at replacing them.”
They don’t call these brain buckets for nothing.
Impact-Alert Official Website
Brain Injury Association of Canada Official Website