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(Last Updated On: )Have you seen the new Segway Ninebot Helmet? Oh, we know you might be too busy riding your electric scooter to notice this piece of gear but what you’re about to read might change your life, literally.
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Safety First, Always.
The world can be grand as you are zipping around town on your favorite device and living life to the fullest.
If you choose not to wear a good helmet and have an accident, all that zip could be compromised. You don’t want to have someone else cut your meat for you, do you?
With Segway, safety always comes first. The Segway was invented by Dean Kamen when he saw a young man in a wheelchair struggling to get over a sidewalk.
Kamen realized that this world has been built for people who can balance. Even the name “Segway” means “a smooth transition from one place to another.”
All of this invention happened back in 2001, and Segway continues its tradition of safety today with the Segway Ninebot helmet.
The Segway Helmet
Segway Ninebot Helmet Main Features
Materials – Polycarbonates (PC) Outer Shell / Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) liner
Size – Adjustable Size – 22.8-24.8″ head circumference
Structure – One-piece molded structure
Certifications – CE/CPSC Certified
Maintenance – Easy to Use and Clean – removable paddings
Comfort – Lightweight and Comfortable
The Segway Helmet is top of the line, providing protection for all of your traveling adventures.
Sleek and stylish, this essential piece of equipment offers lightweight protection and comfort.
Segway’s helmet is a one-piece molding process that creates a uniform, compact helmet with the ability to absorb and disperse impacts.
The liner in this helmet is a soft, breathable, moisture-wicking fabric that provides comfort even if you have it on for hours. Not only that, but the liner is also designed to be detachable.
Being able to take the liner out and wash it makes cleaning and maintaining the liner a piece of cake.
STRENGTH IN POLYCARBONATES
Segway did not skimp in making this headgear. The helmet is composed of a Polycarbonate (PC) outer shell.
The construction industry has long used roofing sheets in steel, copper, and aluminum. The industry has begun turning to polycarbonates, a combination of thermoplastics.
These polycarbonates are being used in roofs, walls sheets, and panels. Growing in popularity, the construction industry has been turning to this material in a big way.
Here are some of the reasons that the construction industry is choosing to use polycarbonates:
- Polycarbonate is replacing glass in greenhouses because it is shatter-proof.
- Polycarbonate is used for lights, signals, and molded housing in cars because it is unbreakable.
- Polycarbonate is used to make safety glasses, as it can be transparent and has high impact resistance.
- Polycarbonate is used in police riot shields, and it is lightweight and hard to damage.
- Polycarbonate is used to make blast shields for hydraulic press experiments.
All of these uses should tell you that polycarbonate is sturdy and durable. Ideal material for the construction industry, it is the material chosen by Segway for their helmets.
A POLYSTYRENE LINER
Continuing to pay attention to functionality, the expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner of the Segway Ninebot helmet is both a non-toxic and odorless material.
Providing essential breathability, the material in the liner is also:
- Resistance to bacterial growth
- Resistance to moisture
- Lightweight
- Provides insulation
- Durable
ADJUSTABLE
Rather than a one-size-fits-most design, the Segway Ninebot helmet fits people with 22.8 to 24.8 head circumference and comes with an adjustable spin dial that is designed to provide a more accommodating fit.
The helmet has an easy to use a clip-on and off strap that is also adjustable.
CPSC CERTIFIED
The Segway Ninebot helmet is CPSC certified and has passed positional stability and peripheral vision tests.
Since March of 1999, all bike helmets in the United States have been required to pass the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) helmet standard. The CPSC subjects helmets to greater impacts than previous standards.
It would be impossible to replicate all of the scenarios that might occur during an accident on an electric scooter, CPSC standards require that helmets be tested by being dropped on various shapes of solid-steel anvils.
These anvils simulate different types of crashes, and they also subject the helmet to more focused shocks.
The types of anvils used are:
FLAT ANVIL – A flat steel plate that is meant to replicate a head striking the ground
HEMI ANVIL – This anvil is four inches in diameter and shaped like an orange. It focuses the energy from an impact onto a small portion of the helmet.
CURBSTONE – This particular anvil is shaped to replicate the rounded edge of a curb or guardrail
CYLINDRICAL – This test’s the helmet’s protective capabilities when striking rounded metal objects, such as a signpost or a parking meter.
DO IT ANYWAY
No matter the reason, people just don’t like wearing helmets. Just like most of us don’t like eating vegetables.
We know they are good for us, but we want to poke them under the edge of the plate.
We all know what can happen if we have an accident and aren’t wearing a helmet, but we also firmly believe that it won’t happen to us. It always happens to some other poor schmuck, not us.
Sad but true, it can and has happened. You don’t need studies, data, or research. Empirical evidence will tell you what would likely happen if your head hit the pavement without a helmet.
I have taken a spill or two. I have learned two things that have held true in all of the cases I have experienced.
First, I had been prepared for all eventualities and did not knowingly contribute to any of my mishaps.
Second, they all happened so blazingly fast that there was no time to react. There have been two times that stand out in my mind, and I can still see the spill happening in slow motion.
There was absolutely no opportunity to prevent or swerve or even to text home. The first came from the uneven pavement and poor lighting.
The second was a tree branch that fell in my path as I was minding my own business.
I refuse to even think of spending the rest of my life drinking through a straw or not being able to recognize my own face in a mirror.
Especially not when I can choose whether or not to give myself an edge in the war against falling tree limbs.
IT MAKES SENSE
Here is a fun fact: The first helmet (that we know of) was used by Assyrian soldiers in 900 B.C.
They were made of thick leather and bronze. They protected the soldier’s head from blunt objects, swords, and arrows during combat.
Even way back then, they were smart enough to understand the need for protection.
A helmet works by dissipating the force and energy of an impact. The hard shell on the outside and the foam on the inside of the helmet are the key players.
The foam cushions the blow to your head, and the smooth outer shell allows your head to skid across the surface of the impact. The helmet takes the brunt of the impact and reduces the force that is applied to the skull.
FAQ’s
Can a helmet prevent a concussion?
No. A helmet cannot prevent a concussion. A concussion occurs as a result of the internal bumping of the brain against the skull. A helmet can cushion the blow, but cannot stop your brain from jostling inside the skull.
A helmet can, however, reduce the severity of a concussion and protect against cuts, fractures, and broken bones in your face.
Can you wear any helmet for any activity?
Helmets are designed for various activities and the impact that might be sustained in that activity.
We talked about the CPSC standards earlier and the various anvils that a scooter helmet was tested on.
A helmet used in ice hockey is tested on an anvil that is shaped like the business end of a sharp ice skate. Essential for a hockey player, not so much for someone on a scooter.
Using the wrong kind of helmet means that you have just decreased the efficiency and protection afforded.
How should a helmet fit?
A helmet should be snug, but not so tight that it does not allow for a slight shifting. The helmet should be buckled so that it does not fall off or move upon impact.
Keep the chin strap buckled at all times and tight against your chin.
Can I use my helmet again after a crash?
If you have crashed and hit your head, you must replace the helmet after the crash. The foam part of any helmet is made for one-time use.
When the helmet hits an object in a crash, the foam no longer has the same protective nature that it had before the accident.
Even if it looks intact and undamaged, the crushing effect of an impact will compromise the foam. The helmet did its job.
Be aware that you can crack or damage the helmet foam by dropping your helmet on any hard surface. If you see any crack in the helmet, replace it.
It is not worth taking the chance that a helmet will not perform as designed when you need it the most. Use this checklist to inspect your helmet. Helmet Inspection List.
Should I wear a full-face helmet for an electric scooter?
A full-face helmet will provide more protection in an accident, but some people don’t find them as comfortable.
I happen to like them as a slightly tinted one can serve the same function as sunglasses, and it has also kept me from swallowing more than one bug.
That being said, I am sure of one thing, if you don’t find full-face helmets comfortable, you probably won’t wear them.
Whatever you choose, just make sure that you choose to wear a helmet.
You might think it is a nuisance and distinctly not cool to wear a helmet. It is also not cool to be hauled off to the ER after a spill.
I might have bruised my ego after my fight with the uneven pavement, but I was able to continue under my own steam after a few choice words. That was definitely cool.
The Noble Urban represents more than just a person. It represents a lifestyle. A way of living. A noble life lived in an urban setting.
