Choosing the Right Helmet: Difference between revisions

(2 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)

Line 20:

There are three current standards for motorcycle helmets in the US. The most basic standard is the DOT (Department of Transportation) test. Any helmet sold for on-road use in the US is required to pass the DOT test. It is not especially rigorous.

A more comprehensive (and some argue lesser) test is the [http://www.smf.org/ Snell ~~2000~~ certification]. I don't personally understand the arguments against the Snell test, but a few minutes with Google will uncover them, and you can make your own choice. Most folks tend to agree that a Snell certified helmet is safer than one which is not Snell certified.

A more comprehensive (and some argue lesser) test is the [http://www.smf.org/ Snell 2010 certification]. I don't personally understand the arguments against the Snell test, but a few minutes with Google will uncover them, and you can make your own choice. Most folks tend to agree that a Snell certified helmet is safer than one which is not Snell certified.

Snell doesn't test flip-face helmets, so you can't buy a Snell certified flip-up helmet. Don't let this necessarily stop you.

Line 28:

An important thing to keep in mind regarding certification of helmets is that both DOT and Snell tests are minimum standards. Any helmet which passes either test is guaranteed to be at least as protective as the standard, but some helmets can surpass the standards by quite a bit. For this reason, it is not accurate to say that "any Snell approved helmet will protect as well as any other Snell certified helmet." Unfortunately, verifiable proof of surpassing the standards is hard to come by, so buying a helmet must rely to some extent on reputation and anecdotal evidence.

My personal belief is that wearing a DOT- and Snell-approved helmet is more likely to protect your head in a crash. I would not personally consider buying a full-face helmet that didn't have a Snell ~~2000~~ sticker.

My personal belief is that wearing a DOT and Snell-approved helmet is more likely to protect your head in a crash. I would not personally consider buying a full-face helmet that didn't have a Snell sticker.

==Types of Helmets==

Line 134:

This is the part where I really flex my opinions, so feel free to skip it if you don't care.

I feel that new riders should be buying solid white, flourescent or yellow, Snell approved, full-face helmets. I don't have a strong brand preference, and I think that any of the major brands (HJC, Shoei, Arai, Suomy, ~~AGC~~, etc.) make fine helmets.

I feel that new riders should be buying solid white, flourescent or yellow, Snell approved, full-face helmets. I don't have a strong brand preference, and I think that any of the major brands (HJC, Shoei, Arai, Suomy, AGV, etc.) make fine helmets.

You should only consider a flip-face helmet if you feel you have legitimate need of the feature. I wear glasses at all times, and have never had a problem with a full-face helmet. If you do decide to get a flip-face helmet, examine the latching mechanism carefully. If it looks or feels weak or cheezy to you, forget it. Schuberth and Nolan flip-face helmets have come highly recommended to me, but they'll never be as strong and safe as a fixed full-face helmet.

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 There are three current standards for motorcycle helmets in the US. The most basic standard is the DOT (Department of Transportation) test. Any helmet sold for on-road use in the US is required to pass the DOT test. It is not especially rigorous.
-A more comprehensive (and some argue lesser) test is the [http://www.smf.org/ Snell 2000 certification]. I don't personally understand the arguments against the Snell test, but a few minutes with Google will uncover them, and you can make your own choice. Most folks tend to agree that a Snell certified helmet is safer than one which is not Snell certified.
+A more comprehensive (and some argue lesser) test is the [http://www.smf.org/ Snell 2010 certification]. I don't personally understand the arguments against the Snell test, but a few minutes with Google will uncover them, and you can make your own choice. Most folks tend to agree that a Snell certified helmet is safer than one which is not Snell certified.
 Snell doesn't test flip-face helmets, so you can't buy a Snell certified flip-up helmet. Don't let this necessarily stop you.
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 An important thing to keep in mind regarding certification of helmets is that both DOT and Snell tests are minimum standards. Any helmet which passes either test is guaranteed to be at least as protective as the standard, but some helmets can surpass the standards by quite a bit. For this reason, it is not accurate to say that "any Snell approved helmet will protect as well as any other Snell certified helmet." Unfortunately, verifiable proof of surpassing the standards is hard to come by, so buying a helmet must rely to some extent on reputation and anecdotal evidence.
-My personal belief is that wearing a DOT- and Snell-approved helmet is more likely to protect your head in a crash. I would not personally consider buying a full-face helmet that didn't have a Snell 2000 sticker.
+My personal belief is that wearing a DOT and Snell-approved helmet is more likely to protect your head in a crash. I would not personally consider buying a full-face helmet that didn't have a Snell sticker.
 ==Types of Helmets==
@@ Line 134: / Line 134: @@
 This is the part where I really flex my opinions, so feel free to skip it if you don't care.
-I feel that new riders should be buying solid white, flourescent or yellow, Snell approved, full-face helmets. I don't have a strong brand preference, and I think that any of the major brands (HJC, Shoei, Arai, Suomy, AGC, etc.) make fine helmets.
+I feel that new riders should be buying solid white, flourescent or yellow, Snell approved, full-face helmets. I don't have a strong brand preference, and I think that any of the major brands (HJC, Shoei, Arai, Suomy, AGV, etc.) make fine helmets.
 You should only consider a flip-face helmet if you feel you have legitimate need of the feature. I wear glasses at all times, and have never had a problem with a full-face helmet. If you do decide to get a flip-face helmet, examine the latching mechanism carefully. If it looks or feels weak or cheezy to you, forget it. Schuberth and Nolan flip-face helmets have come highly recommended to me, but they'll never be as strong and safe as a fixed full-face helmet.