Motorcycle Helmet Standards\Testing (LInk)

[phenrichs]

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html

I found this link on the vroc site and the article is quite possibly the best helmet information I have ever read. The article is quite long but very worth your time to read.

I learned many things that I did not know and corrected some things I thought I knew.

I am sending this to all my riding friends.

[pagemastr]

It has been a while since I bought a new helmet so before buying my current helmet I did some research, including running across this article and actually reading through most of the Hurt report. For as dry as the reading was, it was colder here and nothing better to do at the time, it was interesting to see the causes of the accidents and resulting injuries sustained.

What I noticed first off while shopping was the quality of the helmets seemed to have changed dramatically as I still have a couple of helmets from the early 80's in the garage to compare the new ones against. The technology has improved with the addition of venting, softer liner materials, and retractable face shields indicated to me they were better thought out but that all of these improvements dealt mostly with comfort.

Given that someone might be more inclined to wear a helmet that is more comfortable, I welcomed those changes. Getting older, knowing that hurt hurts longer I decided I would give a full face helmet a try as as my commute takes me through Downtown Columbus. Though it wasn't part of the article comparing full to other styles of helmets, I can't argue the added protection it offers. With 500 miles in it now, I don't like it as much as I had hoped I might. I will likely wear it on my commute in spite of it as people are idiots around here and it will offer the most protection where I am most likely to get into an accident... near home. I am not as comfortable in my full face as I am in my 3/4 helmet, and I hear better and see more wearing the 3/4 helmet and wear it most of the rest of the time.

What I did pay attention to were the differences between Snell and DOT ratings and this article made the most sense when it came to the differences between the two as there seemed to be a huge price disparity between them. People argue that they only buy a Snell rated helmet for the better protection it must offer as they are arguably made to a higher standard and usually more expensive. However, looking at the impact numbers in the article, I see the cheapest of the helmets seem to transfer less energy to the head.

I looked at the information from the article on a spreadsheet (cold outside still ) and a number I came up with was the helmets that were DOT rated had an average 21% less severe G force impact rating than the Snell helmets. But like statistics you could read into those numbers all you want and I am sure someone could find a different way of looking at them.

My conclusion after reading the article even before I looked at my numbers busted the myth that pervades the MC safety websites and message boards suggesting if you think your head is worth $100 buy a $100 helmet implying a cheap helmet is bad, expensive helmet is good. The only difference I see is that if I am in an accident wearing my $100 helmet and you are in the same accident wearing a $600, I am $1000 up on you when we replace them! Yours might be a little cooler with the vents and paint job but for what it is designed to do, personally I don't see the additional expense of a Snell rating as being justified.

Good article! MHO

[MarkG]

That was a very interesting article on helmets. I met a man years ago that refused to wear a helmet if it had anything more than DOT certification. He wanted nothing to do with Snell. His only argument was that it was easier to break an egg with something harder than it was with it softer. Therefore simpler was better. Now I suspect he knew quite a bit more about helmets than he admitted. Saying cheaper might be better is like waving a red flag in front of bull. The manufacturers weren't too happy about that conclusion. I will bet there will be some interesting studies pro and con.

My helmet criteria is relatively simple. The helmet must be comfortable. I don't want any red marks, hotspots, aches, or pains after I have been wearing the helmet all day. Whether I wear it for an hour or ten hours, I don't want to dread putting it on the next day during a three week vacation. So far I have been lucky finding helmets that fit my expectations.

[pirate]

That was a great link. I honestly didn't realize all that goes into testing and certifying helmets. Thanks!

[phenrichs]

I really like how all the "el-cheapo" helmets rated better than the expensive helmets. I truly believe the only reason to pay extra is for added creature comforts like modular, integrated communication or some fancy design.
My full face cost me $300 on sale but my half helmet was $35.

I used to believe you get what you pay for but the numbers they provided proved me wrong.