TRL | Literature Review for a New Cycle Helmet Assessment Programme (NCHAP)

This literature review focused on three key research themes that underpin the design of evidence-based helmet safety performance testing and assessment protocols. These included an analysis of literature describing the characteristics of real-world cyclist collisions, a critical review of current international cycle helmet testing standards and a review of the state-of-the-art in traumatic brain injury risk criteria.The cyclist accidentology review analysed a range of research literature, collision databases and cycling ridership statistics to quantify the key characteristics of cyclist collisions. The key demographics of cyclist casualties were defined to quantify age, gender, height and weight. Helmet impact locations, impact angles and injury reduction levels as well as causes of collisions and collision speeds were reported.The critical appraisal of current cycle helmet testing and assessment standards reviewed and compared seven standards currently in force across the world. The appraisal focussed on summarising the differences between the testing and assessment approaches and the key characteristics of each safety performance requirement. Based on this appraisal, this review proposed several recommendations to further inform the initial development of the NCHAP testing and assessment protocols.

The final literature review provides an overview of the theory underpinning the head injury continuum and summarises the state-of-the-art in head injury criteria. It provides an overview of each head injury criterion and identifies the associated injury risk thresholds to provide a complete overview of all relevant head injury criteria and risk thresholds that may be utilised by the NCHAP protocols.

Literature Review for a New Cycle Helmet Assessment Programme (NCHAP)

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