Skip to main content

New motorcycle helmet makes wearing and removal a snap

Motorcycle helmets have evolved over the years to lightweight, technological marvels of safety. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), helmets are 37 percent effective in preventing motorcycle deaths and 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. However, the design structures of the helmets have remained mostly unchanged for quite a while. We still have four or five basic types, including the full face, open face or three-quarter, half, and modular helmets. For the most part, these helmets will not fit properly without a chin strap, and by design are loose in certain areas to allow the rider’s head to fit. One Australian company, Vozz Helmets, is aiming to expand the possibilities of helmet safety and design, right down to the way we put one on.

Vozz’s Voztec System, as the company calls it, enjoys some advantages over traditional helmet design. The helmet operates with a rear opening hinge, allowing the rider to snap the helmet on rather than squeezing their head into it. Because of this, the helmet can be made to fit closer, since the opening at the bottom does not have to be large enough to fit a human head.

The snug fit has eliminated the need for a chin strap. Instead, the Vozz helmet has an adjustable chin cup. The chin bar extends underneath the jawline, giving the helmet a more aerodynamic shape while also providing extra protection. There is no “strap creep,” which occurs when a strap loosens over time with use and wear, and fewer snag points.

In an emergency situation, medical personnel must remove the injured rider’s helmet without causing undue stress on the neck and spine. Modern helmets do have a safety release system, usually in the form of red tabs that, when pulled, release the cheek pads from the helmet and allow easier removal. In extreme cases, the helmet must be cut off the rider’s head. Vozz’s safety release system allows the helmet to be removed safely and in less time than a normal brain bucket.

Vozz will be releasing its own helmet, the RS 1.0, and the company says that the Voztec System can be incorporated into any other full face helmet. The RS 1.0 is available with 3 shell sizes and 3 EPS liners, in addition to comfort liners. The helmet is DOT and ECE approved, and will run for about $900 including helmet bag and tinted visor. Look for its launch in early 2016.

Editors' Recommendations

Albert Khoury
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Al started his career at a downtown Manhattan publisher, and has since worked with digital and print publications. He's…
New Microsoft modular accessories make PCs usable for anyone
The new Microsoft adaptive accessories kit

At its annual Microsoft Ability Summit, Microsoft announced its Adaptive Accessories, a new series of products aimed at making PCs more inclusive for people whom a traditional mouse and keyboard aren't all that helpful.

The first of the highly modular components is the Microsoft Adaptive Mouse. This new mouse can be adapted to fit one's needs by adding mouse tail and thumb support, as well as 3D-printed tails for an even more customized setup. Unlike many products of this type, Microsoft says its new Adaptive Mouse still manages to be both light and portable. There's even a thumb support accessory that can easily switch sides for both left-handed  and right-handed folks.

Read more
SpaceX will stop making new Crew Dragon capsules. Here’s why
SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Two years after SpaceX flew its first astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Crew Dragon capsule, the company has revealed it is ending production of the spacecraft.

Speaking to Reuters this week, Space X president Gwynne Shotwell said that there are currently no plans to add more Crew Dragons to its current fleet of four capsules. However, the company will carry on manufacturing components for the existing Crew Dragon spacecraft as they will continue to be used for future space missions.

Read more
3 next-gen helmet designs that could curb concussions in the NFL
Kollide helmet frame

For decades, the appearance of football helmets hasn’t changed much. The technology within them, however, is constantly being upgraded to make the game safer for athletes. After the links between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and football head injuries became clear, the NFL turned an eye to helmet design.

In 2019, the NFL launched its Helmet Challenge, which would award grants to innovators who developed helmets that outperformed the current helmets on the field in protecting players from head injuries. The first prototypes were submitted in July 2021, and the league spent months subjecting them to a variety of abuses in the lab to see how they held up.

Read more