HELMETS. WHAT'S NEW FROM THE HELMETMAKERS IN OPEN--AND FULL-FACE DESIGNS FOR DIRT AND STREET

In a crash where the motorcycle rider's head hits something, a helmet increases his chance for survival from slim to good simply by dissipating the energy of an impact more slowly. A number of standard tests determine how well the helmet can be expected to work: it must absorb energy, it must prevent penetration and it must stay on the head. There are three major test standards that helmet buyers should be aware of: The DOT (Department of Transportation) certification is a requirement for every helmet sold in the United States for highway use; the ANSI (American National Standard Institute) Z90.1-b-1979 certification is tougher, and in fact is the former Snell 1970 standard; the Snell Standards (named for the Snell Memorial Foundation) are by far the toughest and are formulated primarily for racing purposes. The current working Snell standard is Snell 1975, although in the process of being superseded by Snell 1980. Of course the helmet that passes the most stringent tests is more likely (but not guaranteed) to offer that last bit of added protection in a crash. The article includes several pages of photos and descriptions of three kinds of helmets: full face, open face and off-road.

• Corporate Authors:

  Quinn Publications Incorporated

  P.O. Box 6040
  Compton, CA  United States  90224
• Publication Date: 1982-4

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: 9 p.
• Serial:
  • Cycle Guide
  • Volume: 17
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Quinn Publications Incorporated

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Certification; Helmets; Motorcyclists; Protection; Safety equipment; Standards; Test procedures; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Protective equipment
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00366994
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-032 996
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 30 1982 12:00AM