Invisible Helmet Deploys Like an Airbag on Impact

It looks like a trashbag coming out of a finely patterned neck pillow. But if you find yourself colliding with a car while on your bike, it could actually save your life.

Meet Hövding, the invisible bike helmet. It's a real, actual thing. But it won't be so easy for it to come to market in the United States.

Here's a three-minute documentary about the Swedish helmet and its founders:

Bicycle injuries are obviously serious business. The 677 cycling deaths in 2011 (the last year for which there's data) made up 2% of all motor-vehicle traffic deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 48,000 bikers were injured in crashes. At the same time, bike ridership has been on the rise in the United States. Read more...