Helmet Safety

For any person that races in any sort of organization you are required to wear a helmet. I would hope by now that everyone knows the importance of wearing helmets, they save lives. Not only do they just save your life on the big crashes, but they keep your from going to the hospital on minor crashes. A small tumble on a bike or quad with a helmet on could turn into a deep cut or concussion if you didn’t have a helmet on. What I don’t think a lot of people realize is that all helmets are not created equally.

All helmets on the market must meet DOT Standard, Department of Transportation, to be sold to the public. What they don’t have to meet is the Snell Memorial Foundation’s standards.

What is SNELL? Well basically they are a non profit organization that tests helmets to see how safe they are. All racing organizations that I know of require your helmet to have a Snell sticker that is no older than 5 years. Even if the helmet has NEVER been worn this helmet could still be bad. You see after 5 years the Styrofoam inside deteriorates and no longer provides the required protection.

SNELL tests helmets at 2 very high tech labs, one in the US and one in the UK. Their over all goal is to ensure quality and standards for helmets.

Not Known

This isn’t printed anywhere that I know of. The following information is what I have found out from visiting the SNELL lab in the US. Just because it has a SNELL sticker doesn’t mean it’s the best. SNELL takes a batch of helmets and runs them through various tests. If a helmet fails a certain test they retest it. There are certain “numbers” it must reach to be at the standard. Some helmets barely make them, others clear with plenty of head room. Some are retested again and again until they pass. Now nothing gets a sticker that doesn’t pass be sure of that.

What does this mean to you? Well you know that helmet you just picked up for $50 that has a SNELL and DOT sticker? It is probably one of those that barely passed. Now that doesn’t mean it isn’t safe, but it isn’t the safest out there. This doesn’t mean you have to buy that $600 SHOEI with Troy Lee designs on it to ensure safety but it should make you think twice about a “deal”.

Make sure it fits! Even the best helmet wont work if it doesn't fit. It should be "snug" to the point of almost tight, but not uncomfortable. If you grab the helmet and wiggle it your head should move with it. Cracks are bad, replace the helmet if it has one. After every crash, no matter how minor, you should replace your helmet if it was invovled in the accident. The easiest way to tell is check for chipped paint. Don't drop your helmet. If you drop your helmet from 5-6 feet on a rock or cemenet it is the same as getting in a wreck.

Some of the better ones are as follows:
SHOEI
SIMPSON
ARAI
HJC
Bell

Those are probably the 4 highest scoring on average helmet.

What makes me an expert? Well I’m not really. The man I know who works there has worked there a very long time. I visit there lab all the time when I go to lunch with him. He also supplies me with all my helmets. Very simply he doesn’t trust a lot out there and will only let me wear what he knows to be the best. I have also destroyed quite a few of them. When I do I bring them back and he tests them. One example is I took a “little” tumble on a dirt bike. Nothing bad just dinged up my helmet. I took it in and he opened it up. The Styrofoam was destroyed. If I had crashed again using this helmet my head would have been mush.

For more information go to : http://www.smf.org/