- Sikhs who wear turbans are exempt from wearing bicycle and motorcycle helmets
Turbans can protect against head injuries almost as well as bicycle helmets, scientists have discovered – a blow to one of Del Boy’s cunning business ideas.
Researchers found that Sikh cyclists could be saved from traumatic head injuries if they crash while wearing their traditional headgear, made of thick, twisty fabrics.
It could be bad news for Only Fools and Horses legend Del Trotter, who designed a ‘crash turban’ in a 1996 episode of the classic sitcom.
Dodgy dealer Del wrapped a knocked-off riding helmet in a white scarf and declared: ‘There are millions of Sikhs riding motorcycles completely unprotected. This is our chance to do something for our fellow man.’
It could be bad news for Only Fools and Horses legend Del Trotter, who famously designed a “crash turban” in a 1996 episode of the classic sitcom.
He named his invention the Trotter Crash Turban and forced long-suffering brother Rodney to try it on.
Rodney wailed, “I look like a human cannonball that just hit a clothesline.” People would rather get seriously injured than bear this.”
Experts at Imperial College London now say the turban already provides good protection against impact, and believe their findings could help engineers develop lightweight protective fabric hats.
Sikhs who wear turbans are exempt from wearing bicycle and motorcycle helmets in Britain.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh said: ‘Our findings show that simple Sikh turbans have the potential to soften head impacts.
‘This provides important evidence that we hope will encourage the wider scientific community to invest in the best headgear fabrics to absorb shock, which will indeed open up commercial markets for people from all walks of life affected by concussions and head impacts.”
Using dummy heads in the crash test, the researchers tested five different turbans, with two wrap styles and two different fabrics, and compared them to conventional bicycle helmets and bare heads.
The study found that the risk of skull fractures and brain injuries was still higher with turbans than with conventional bicycle helmets.
However, the danger can be reduced by covering more of the head, placing energy-absorbing materials between the layers of the fabric and reducing friction in the material.
For impacts to the front of the head, the Dastaar turban style performed best, while the Dumalla turban style performed best for impacts to the side of the head.