Roller Coaster Helmet

I recently came back from Cedar Point, an amusement park on a peninsula on Lake Erie. Cedar Point is a very old park (the first roller coaster there was built 111 years ago), and so has many old rides. Three of the roller coasters, one 27 years old, one 8 years old, and the last brand new, are rough and can toss riders' heads around to the point of pain. I came off them with red ears and/or a headache each time, wishing for some padding for my poor head and ears. Many roller coasters at other parks are just as rough.

Enter the Roller Coaster Helmet. Looking just like a regular open-face motorcycle helmet, riders put it on before boarding the ride. After the harness is down and locked, the rider positions their head in a comfortable place in the harness and presses a small button on the top of the helmet, which activates three small hideaway spring pistons. These fold out of the helmet and press against each side and the back of the harness/seat to absorb sudden shocks. The springs are relatively soft so as not to give the rider whiplash when their body moves and their head stays in place. The pistons fold back into the helmet when the built-in accelerometer detects the end of the ride.

For rider comfort, the helmet has air vents and is padded inside to absorb more shock. The padding also absorbs the roar of the coaster, as well as the shrieks of some of the passengers.

The Roller Coaster Helmet can be purchased at the entrance to the park or on any ride that it can be used on, in a myriad of colors or patterns and sizes. It can also be rented for a small fee, with the requirement that the passenger keep the included plastic sheet inside the helmet to prevent odors and moisture becoming stuck in the padding.