I never/rarely post about equipment, but assuming the Hövding works as advertised it could be a game-changer.
From their web site: “Hövding is a collar for bicyclists, worn around the neck. The collar contains a folded up airbag that you’ll only see if you happen to have an accident. The airbag is shaped like a hood, surrounding and protecting the bicyclist’s head. The trigger mechanism is controlled by sensors which pick up the abnormal movements of a bicyclist in an accident.
The actual collar is the visible part of the invention. It’s covered by a removable shell that you can change to match your outfit, and we’ll be launching new designs all the time. Hövding is a practical accessory that’s easy to carry around, it’s got a great-looking yet subtle design, and it will save your life.”
Hövding was invented by Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin who were working together on a joint master thesis in industrial design at LTH, the Faculty of Engineering at Lund University in Sweden. In 2005 a new law was introduced in Sweden that required that children under the age of 15 wear bicycle helmets, and that triggered a debate on whether the law should be extended to include adult cyclists.
Anna and Terese became worried about the law because they wouldn’t be caught dead in a conventional cycling helmet–it sounds like their issue was less about safety and more about fashion. So, they set out to produce a bicycle helmet that people would be happy to wear rather than be forced to wear because of legislation. Their joint industrial design master thesis was the perfect place to find out whether the traditional bicycle helmet could be improved, and they set out to design an “invisible” bike helmet.
Have Hövdings started to appear in Seattle?
