Helmets-- DOTand/or Snell certified

[IBJanky]

As long as a helmet is DOT certified, it's good enough in my book

[BlueBomber]

I'm certainly no expert but I used to race Go-Karts and our rules stated we HAD to have a SNELL rated helmet, and always whatever the newest rating was.

I crashed in a Snell 95 helmet. I actually flipped the cart over 1 and a half times and landed right on my helmet. The forces were the speed at which I was going, translated into a rate of revolution, combined with the gravity pulling my head back towards asphalt.

The kart also landed on top of me mind you.

I didn't have so much as a headache.

So I'll stick with Snell myself.

Also I've read interesting things about "modular" or "flip face" helmets - how the joints that allow them to flip up are really big weak spots and some severe injuries can be caused from the temple areas being rather exposed because of the weaker joint areas. I've also read that this is one of the big reasons that so far no modular helmet has passed Snell certification. Snell says they've found one that is rather close to passing, and may pass with next years model though.

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[wickedrider]

One thing that I have not seen mentioned in this post is the DOT compliance checks or lack thereof. Evidently, DOT rarely tests for compliance. Also, after getting the DOT stickers, compliance is then based on an "Honor System". With so many helmets being made elsewhere, as well as the business ethics of national manufacturers, I don't know whether I want to trust my head to DOT. I'll stick with helmets that meet or exceeds the Snell and the European standards. If a helmet passes Snell, it automatically passes DOT's standards.

I believe this article was mentioned in an earlier post. When you feel like it, check it out.


http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearb ... et_review/

[anarchy]

i think when it's put into perspective, your more reputable helmet manufactures will stick with the honor system and ensure their helmets meet or exceed dot standards. the last thing they need to for it to get out that they've been passing off sub-standard helmets. think of the lawsuits - i'm sure they are...

now i'm sure there are many helmet manufactures that really don't care. think about all the ones that are making the half shell brain buckets that are no thicker than a piece of cardboard. oh, and including a dot sticker you can apply yourself... i would be leery of those manufactures... but again, the more reputable ones you can probably trust...

[Apollofrost]

check out this headgear...

maybe one day this stuff will be in our helmets...

Yeah, it might be the same material I saw on a website about a year ago. They were talking about adding it to kevlar fabric to increase puncture resistance. They also had a few pretty cool videos of the stuff in action, going from liquid to solid and the like.

Heres a though, what if you were to put this stuff on the outside of a helmet in place of a fiberglass or polycarb shell? Some of the initial impact would be directed directly into the foam (maybe absorbing a lot of the impact but not bottoming out) then the shell goes hard and redirects the force over a wider area. Would this make a helmet safer? Just idle musings...