May the fourth be with you

What better way to celebrate Star Wars Day than this R2-D2-themed design by Burton? It's just that cycle helmets aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Who will wear this?

Injury rates in countries where very few cyclists wear helmets are amongst the lowest in the world. There is speculation over why this might be, but even those with polarised views about helmet efficacy agree that the group that stands to benefit most from cycle helmet wearing is very young children.

Parents who struggle to convince their kids to wear a cycle helmet, not to mention the many adults for whom R2-D2 was the coolest character in the Star Wars films, will welcome the new design. However, when you witness a Dutch expat in London ferrying their young child to school on the back of a town bike - a small blanket thrown over the rear luggage rack as an improvised seat and neither wearing protective gear or high-vis gear of any description - as we did this morning, it's clear that this country's attitude towards helmets is a curiously British and undoubtedly unhelpful obsession.

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.

{{cta-cycling}}