I grew up well aware of the importance of safety. My parents were not only patriotic in their choice of Volvos and Saabs exclusively as means of transportation – they were all a given choice for safe family adventures on the road! So my Swedish heart made an extra beat when I recently read about the Hövding (“chief”) bicycle helmet. Combining Scandinavian vanity with the strong heritage of modern car safety thinking, we will now be able to bike with our hair kept in style, as well as our general apearance. Hövding is a miniature airbag in the shape of a collar, that, when alarmed by motion sensors and small gyros, unfolds to a big white cushion in a matter of milliseconds. It does come with quite a hefty price tag, but frankly, when was it ever cheap to be safe and stylish at the same time? The helmet is being released in Sweden as you’re reading this, but is being promoted by the Swedish-German Chamber of Commerce, so expect it to show up soon at your local bikeshop-fashion-store, or use their online shop! (Check out this video to see how it works!)
Text: Anders Ehlin
Published in Cee Cee #25 on 6.10.2011
