Text/Photo by Yangcheng Evening News reporter Guo Siqi
Recently, a tweet from the Guangdong Traffic Police's official account, "Can a 3.9-yuan safety helmet be "safe"?
"Caused the attention of netizens.
In the tweet, Guangdong traffic police showed through traffic accident cases that inferior helmets are difficult to protect the safety of electric bicycle drivers.
Since April 2020, the Ministry of Public Security has carried out the "One Helmet, One Belt" safety protection campaign across the country, and the helmet wearing rate of electric bicycle drivers and passengers has continued to rise.
However, the reporter's investigation found that the quality of various helmets on the market is uneven, and the price varies greatly, ranging from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars.
A reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News recently visited a number of electric bicycle stores in Guangzhou and found that most of the helmets sell for 20 to 40 yuan, many of which are "three no" products, and fewer stores sell 3C certified helmets.
In this regard, industry experts remind that inferior helmets may cause secondary injuries. Drivers and passengers should choose helmets correctly, and helmets without buffer layers should be purchased carefully!
Merchant:
Low-priced helmets sell better, few stores sell 3C certified models
According to authoritative statistics, about 80% of fatal accidents involving motorcycles and electric bicycles are caused by craniocerebral injury; relevant studies have shown that correct wearing of safety helmets and standardized use of seat belts can reduce the risk of traffic accident death by 60% to 70%. %.
In early April this year, an accident reported by the Traffic Administration of the Ministry of Public Security once again demonstrated the importance of wearing safety helmets.
The report mentioned that Luo, in Heyuan, fell to the ground in a traffic accident while driving a motorcycle. A light-duty truck ran over Luo's head. Fortunately, Luo was wearing a safety helmet correctly, and his head was uninjured, except for his body part. Injuried.
Good-quality helmets can save lives in critical moments, but poor-quality helmets may cause secondary injuries to drivers and passengers.
In January 2021, an electric bicycle rubbed against a car occurred in Zhongshan. The woman riding the electric bicycle suffered from constant eye bleeding and severe damage to her helmet.
The police on-site investigation found that the helmet was of poor quality, and the broken fragments pierced the woman's eyes.
A reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News visited 7 electric bicycle stores in Guangzhou and found that most of the helmets sell for 20 to 40 yuan, and many stores sell a single type of helmets, mostly "three-no" products, and 3C certified models are rare.
The reporter walked into an electric bicycle store in Shipai Village, Tianhe District, and the staff introduced to the reporter with a helmet in hand: "This one is 35 yuan, the quality is average, but it is enough to deal with the traffic police." The staff member said that the price is high and the quality is high. Good helmets don't sell well, this is the only helmet in the store.
The reporter observed that the product has no production date, manufacturer and other information.
Later, the reporter came to an electric bicycle store in Tangdong Village, Tianhe District.
The staff recommended a helmet priced at 45 yuan to the reporter.
When the reporter asked whether there was 3C certification, the staff said: "It doesn't matter whether the helmet is 3C certified or not, as long as it is worn, it can be checked by the traffic police."
Another electric bicycle store in Tangdong Village has two helmets priced at 25 yuan and 60 yuan on sale.
The staff said frankly: "You get what you pay for every penny. The 25-yuan helmet is made of recycled plastic, and the 60-yuan helmet is better." The reporter observed that the 25-yuan helmet shell looks old and matte, and has not been produced. Manufacturers and other information; 60 yuan, the shell is newer, but also no 3C certification mark.
The staff revealed that the low price of 25 yuan is more popular.
In an electric bicycle store on the west of Huangpu Avenue, the staff recommended 3C certified helmets priced at 109 yuan and ordinary helmets at 30 yuan.
The staff showed reporters by pressing the product that the shell of the helmet of 30 yuan is brittle, and the material of the helmet of 109 yuan is stronger.
The reporter saw that the former has no buffer layer structure, no production date, manufacturer and other information; the latter has a buffer layer structure, and the production information is clear, and there is a 3C certification mark.
During the visit, the reporter also learned that some electric bicycle stores have launched the activity of buying a car and giving a helmet, and the quality of the helmets given is poor, and most of them are inferior helmets.
Owner:
Pay attention to safety, but think that "you can wear it"
In August 2021, the "2021 Motorcycle and Electric Bicycle Helmets Comparison Test Report" issued by the Guangdong Consumer Council pointed out that more than 60% of consumers do not know whether the helmets they use can provide effective protection; Helmets are the primary factor, accounting for 26.2%.
Recently, a reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News randomly interviewed a number of electric bicycle drivers on South Tangde Road, Tianhe District, to learn about their purchase and use of helmets.
"I bought my helmet at an electric bicycle store for 25 yuan a piece." Mr. Che Zheng said, "I don't have to choose a 3C certified helmet. The helmet will be broken in the event of an accident. The most important thing is to pay attention to safety while riding."
"I pay more attention to safety and comfort." Ms. Lin, the owner of the car, showed her helmet to reporters. "Now this helmet is given by me when I bought an electric bicycle. I am not satisfied with the workmanship inside the helmet." She said that she did not know what to do. Whether the helmet can play a protective role, and I don't know the age of use, I think it can be worn.
The owner of the car, Mr. Huang, also expressed that he values the safety and comfort of the helmet.
"My two helmets are bought online. The price is between ten and twenty yuan, and they are not 3C certified." Mr. Huang said frankly, "The quality of the two helmets is average, as long as there are helmets to wear, how much can a little bit of protection.”
Most of the helmets purchased by the interviewed car owners are less than 50 yuan, and most of them do not know how to choose the helmet correctly and the duration of the helmet.
On an online shopping platform, the reporter searches for electric bicycle helmets and can see many products with prices ranging from ten yuan to hundreds of yuan.
The reporter clicked on the first-selling product of motorcycle helmets. The price starts from 26.8 yuan and the monthly sales are more than 100,000. A buyer commented in the comment area: "It's okay to deal with the traffic police, but if you want to be safe, you should buy it better."
expert:
Inferior helmets may cause secondary damage, buy carefully without a buffer layer
According to statistics from the China Bicycle Association, there are currently more than 300 million electric bicycles in my country.
With the launch of the "One Helmet, One Belt" security protection campaign, the helmet wearing rate has continued to rise.
Lan Shiyou, executive chairman of the Guangdong Electric Vehicle Chamber of Commerce, said that about 80% of the helmets currently on the market are unsafe. The shells of low-quality helmets are usually made of recycled plastic, which is easy to break after a collision, which may cause secondary injuries to drivers and passengers.
"Inferior helmets usually do not have a buffer layer." Li Zhigao, deputy general manager of Midland Sports Equipment (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., said that the helmet shell mainly prevents sharp objects from piercing the helmet, while the helmet buffer layer acts as a shock absorber. .
"The buffer layer has many tiny foams. When the helmet is hit, the foam material will be squashed to absorb the energy of the impact. Many inferior helmets do not have a buffer layer, and the impact force will be fully transmitted to the driver's head. protection."
Li Zhigao further introduced that the helmet should not only have a buffer layer, but also the density of the buffer layer should be high enough.
If the buffer layer is soft and there are depressions when you pinch it with your hand, this helmet can only play a protective role when the impact strength is low, and it is difficult to effectively protect if the strength is slightly higher.
Can a helmet costing 20 or 30 yuan play a protective role?
Lan Shiyou and Li Zhigao both gave negative answers.
"A helmet of twenty or thirty yuan definitely does not have a qualified buffer layer." Lan Shiyou said.
According to Li Zhigao’s analysis of the production cost, the minimum cost of a qualified helmet is about 50 yuan, and the production cost of a helmet priced at 20 to 30 yuan may only be a few yuan, and it is impossible to make it with qualified materials. to protection.
In addition, Lan Shiyou said that at present, some electric bicycle stores have launched the activity of buying a car and sending a helmet, but many stores are giving away low-quality helmets, which has potential safety hazards. Therefore, the Guangdong Electric Vehicle Chamber of Commerce recently issued an industry initiative, calling for more stores to give away helmets. Supervision and management of product quality, put an end to the gift of low-quality and low-quality helmets.
Why is the market share of inferior helmets so high?
Li Zhigao believes that the lack of national standards is one of the main reasons.
He revealed that a new national standard for electric bicycle helmets is being developed.
In July 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a draft of the mandatory national standard for "motorcycle and electric bicycle occupant helmets" for public comments.
"Electric bicycle drivers should increase their awareness of purchasing helmets correctly." Lan Shi has suggested, look for 3C certified helmets, and do not buy "three-no" products; you can observe the shell of the helmet, if the material looks old and the material Relatively brittle, be wary that it is made of recycled plastic; also observe whether there is a buffer layer.
Guangdong traffic police reminded that the helmet's service life is usually 2-3 years, and the materials such as glass fiber and ABS will be worn and broken over time, and the protective performance will be greatly reduced, so it needs to be replaced in time; and if the helmet has been hit, even if the shell is not deformed , and should not continue to be used.