New mobility solutions have profoundly transformed the way we get around cities. Electric bikes, speed pedelecs, electric scooters, and even skateboards are now part of everyday life. While these modes of transport offer more freedom and fluidity, they also come with an often-underestimated reality: the speeds achieved today are nothing like those of yesterday.
In this context, choosing a helmet adapted to new mobility solutions becomes a central element of safety, just like behavior and infrastructure.
New Mobility Solutions: Some Figures to Understand the Challenges
Recent road safety data provides a clear framework:
- cyclists and users of motorized personal mobility devices account for approximately 1 in 5 serious injuries in urban areas;
- the proportion of electric bicycles is growing sharply, particularly for commuting;
- an electric bike can commonly travel between 25 and 30 km/h, and up to 45 km/h for a speed pedelec.
These speeds, reached quickly and often in dense environments, completely change the nature of impacts in the event of a fall. A helmet adapted to new mobility solutions must therefore be designed for these new constraints, and not for urban cycling of twenty years ago.
Why Speed Changes Everything in Terms of Protection
As speed increases, the energy released during an impact grows exponentially. Concretely, a fall at 35 or 45 km/h does not generate the same stress as a fall at 15 km/h.
However, the majority of so-called "standard" helmets are historically designed for:
- moderate speeds,
- primarily linear impacts,
- classic cycling practice.
A helmet adapted to new mobility solutions, on the other hand, must incorporate:
- more violent impacts,
- frequent oblique impacts,
- increased exposure of the face and jaw.
Standard Helmet vs. Helmet Designed for New Speeds
This is where the difference becomes crucial. A helmet truly adapted to new mobility solutions is designed and tested to withstand impacts at much higher speeds, sometimes up to 45 km/h, where many traditional helmets quickly reach their limits.
The Virgo Move full-face helmet is precisely in line with this logic: it has been designed to support the evolution of fast urban uses, particularly for electric bikes and speed pedelecs, by offering a level of protection consistent with these speeds.
Without being a motorcycle helmet or extreme equipment, it positions itself as a response to the reality of the road today.
Why the Full-Face Helmet Becomes Relevant in Urban Environments
Accident studies show that during a fall in the city:
- the body is often thrown forward,
- impacts frequently affect the lower face,
- the jaw, chin, and entire face are exposed areas.
A full-face helmet adapted to new mobility solutions provides additional protection in these areas, while maintaining:
- a controlled weight,
- sufficient ventilation,
- comfort compatible with daily use.
The Virgo Move full-face helmet was designed with this in mind: to protect where impacts are actually observed, without resorting to restrictive or oversized equipment.
Materials and Design Engineered to Absorb Energy
A high-performance helmet relies not on a single element, but on a coherent whole:
- an abrasion-resistant outer shell,
- internal foam capable of effectively absorbing energy,
- a continuous structure between the shell and the chin bar on full-face models.
This architecture allows for better distribution of forces during a high-speed impact, a key point for any helmet adapted to new fast mobility solutions.
What About Oblique Impacts in Urban Environments?
In the city, perfectly vertical falls are rare. Curbs, rails, obstacles, changes of direction: impacts are often oblique. This is why some helmets incorporate systems designed to limit rotational forces transmitted to the brain.
Again, this approach is part of the philosophy of a helmet adapted to new mobility solutions, designed for real and not theoretical scenarios.
Comfort: A Safety Criterion in Its Own Right
An effective helmet is, first and foremost, a helmet that is worn. At high speeds, stability, ventilation, and fit become essential.
A well-designed urban full-face helmet should allow for:
- good air circulation,
- stable support at 30, 40, or 45 km/h,
- prolonged wear without discomfort.
This is precisely what allows a helmet adapted to new mobility solutions to integrate naturally into daily commutes.
Visibility and Coexistence with Other Users
On an electric bike or scooter, speed sometimes makes behavior similar to that of a motorized two-wheeler. Being seen then becomes as important as protecting oneself well.
Some helmets, such as the Virgo full-face helmet, integrate elements designed to improve visibility in dense urban environments, an often-overlooked but essential point in accident prevention.
In Conclusion: Protection Commensurate with New Speeds
New mobility solutions are no longer slow. They are fast, efficient, and embedded in daily life. Faced with this reality, the helmet adapted to new mobility solutions is no longer an option, but a necessity.
A helmet capable of effectively protecting up to 45 km/h, offering extended coverage and comfort compatible with urban use, responds much better to current challenges than a standard helmet designed for older practices.
The Virgo full-face helmet illustrates this evolution: protection designed for new speeds, new uses, and the concrete reality of today's city. Because when uses evolve, protection must evolve at the same pace.
