New helmet technology to monitor head trauma in mountain bike crashes

A mountain biker from the Borders has become one of the first to trial new technology to monitor concussion.

A sensor is attached to the back of the biking helmet which can detect the force the rider hits the ground and the severity of concussion.

Former mountain biking World Champion Reece Wilson has welcomed the device after experiencing various concussions during his career.

He said: "It really is a dangerous sport. We don't have a car or a cage around us.

"The first thing for us to hit the ground is as a body part normally, and that can quite often be your head.

"Some of the worst concussions I've had have actually come from the smallest, or what I thought was the smallest of bumps.

"They really are a bit of a whirlwind of an injury - you don't always know when you've got one, and sometimes you don't always know how severe they are."

The device is also fitted with a GPS tracker and linked to a mobile phone app that can immediately show others the location and severity of the crash.

The app uses a traffic light system of red, amber, or green to show the force the impact has had and whether it's safe for the rider to continue.

HIT, is the company that has designed the device, their creator Euan Bowen said: "We track our steps, we track our heart rate, we track everything to do with performance.

"The brain is the most important organ in your body except maybe your heart.

"It's one of these things that we actively can monitor the forces and the rotational forces that are happening to the brain.

"It's giving you a better picture and a better indication of the instant this happened."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...