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I have seen advertisements for helmets that say DOT and/or Snell approved. I have also seen ads that say a helmet exceeds DOT and Snell Requirements. Are the helmets that are advertised as exceeding DOT abd Snell requirements actually certified by DOT and/or Snell, or is there some other entity that's making the call?

I think it is just marketing lingo.

Thanks Magna.

as i understand it, for a dot cert, the manufacturer of the helmet does the testing. if the helmet passes the tests, the manufacturer can label it with a dot sticker...

snell, on the other hand, does their own testing. they will go to the manufacturer, pick a couple helmets off the line and take them back to their labs for testing...

If a helmet is tested to withstand a certain amount of force, and that force exceeds the minimal requirements outlined by the dot or snell requirements, then it thus exceeds Dot/Snell standards. Probably means exactly the same as "approved by".

There is also another testing agency, the BSI, which is a British organization and I believe their requirements are even stiffer than the other two. My Suomy Spec 1 Extreme is approved by all three of these groups.
I have already had my brain injury in a dirt bike accident so I guess I am possibly a little paranoid about helmet safety..... and the crash was with full protection gear including an Arai Pro (Now gone)
Here is a link that will explain a little more about the BSI lab:

http://www.suomy-usa.com/sfaqa.htm

I find it fascinating that some research indicates that the higher impact standards of Snell certification may put you *more* at risk. If a helmet is designed to absorb the impact of a much higher speed accident than you are likely to have, it will impart more energy than necessary to your head than a helmet designed for a more moderate speed crash.

jonnythan wrote:I find it fascinating that some research indicates that the higher impact standards of Snell certification may put you *more* at risk. If a helmet is designed to absorb the impact of a much higher speed accident than you are likely to have, it will impart more energy than necessary to your head than a helmet designed for a more moderate speed crash.

Hmm. I never thought about it but I can understand why. When in an accident your helmet protects your head against actual contact by absorbing all of the energy. Absorbing means that it was transferred to another object (your head) and allowing your entire head to feel the hit instead of say your forehead. More specific...the more surface area the less pressure for a given force acted upon your noggin.

However, in the event that it breaks all of that energy was dissipated into breaking the helmet instead of being transferred into your head.

Kind of like punching a hole in drywall vs. punching a concrete wall. Your hand may go through the drywall, but it won't go through the concrete. At very least the drywall will deform (energy dissipation). This is why it won't hurt as much.

Isn't physics fun?

From what ive researched, alot of you guys are absolutly correct. Let me just add a little about what ive read that wasn't stated here

For Snell, they conduct their own testing, but the manufacturer has to ship a helmet model at their own cost to the Snell testing facilities. Some helmets may just in fact be up to snell standards, but have been never tested.

the motorcyclist article "blowing the lid" talked about the dangers of Snell. I think they might have something to what they say. If I remember correctly, one of the founders of Snell resigned and was interviewed, which is where the story comes from. Something about the g forces acted upon the brain, what level is safe, and how snell has made standards for a to rigid of a helmet that forces an unacceptable level of gravity force to the brain and skull.

Apparently its not what our skull hits that gives us a concussion, its when our brain gets squished up against the inner wall of our skulls and is forced to suddenly stop its momentum that gives us brain damage. Its good to have the helmet transfer energy over a larger, spread out area.

uscgbeachbum wrote: However, in the event that it breaks all of that energy was dissipated into breaking the helmet instead of being transferred into your head.

Exactly. What you want to see after an impact is a crack on the side OPPOSITE of the impact point. This indicates the shock traveled around the outside of the shell and met somewhere else. *snap*

This doesn't dissipate all of the energy though. You're still moving at x MPH towards a hard object. That's where the foam comes in, and where the SNELL tests gather controversy. The SNELL tests are performed at a higher impact level than other tests are. In order to pass the foam has to be denser than a DOT helmet. At lower speeds, this cushions your head less and allows higher G's to be imparted on your brain.

The obvious answer would be to just have two nice thick layers of foam, but who wants a helmet as wide as their shoulders?