New study says bike helmets need more rigorous testing (Photo: FOX 26 Houston) HOUSTON - More people have started riding bicycles since the pandemic began. But a new study says your bike helmet may not protect your head in an accident as much as it could. Researchers say overall, most bike helmets do a good job of protecting cyclists from skull fractures and brain injuries in a crash. But a new study by the Imperial College of London says bike helmet testing is outdated and doesn't account for the way many accidents actually happen. "Bicycle helmets have been around for many decades now, and they have been tested originally on what we call vertical impacts. This test came about almost 70 years ago, I believe," said Dr. Mazdak Ghajari, senior lecturer in the HEAD lab at Imperial College London.