Energy is what makes your motorcycle so much fun to ride! And if that energy is transferred to your head - like in a crash - the results can be tragic. When we are talking about protection, we are talking about energy. The SHARP helmet safety scheme does not provide certifications, but instead assigns a “star rating” to European-model lids. Recently a fourth testing body has entered the motorcycle helmet market. Helmets can pass one, two, or even all three standards, so you may have a helmet that is just DOT, DOT and SNELL, or DOT and ECE approved. These are unsafe, offer zero protection and are illegal to wear while riding in areas or circumstances where helmet use is legally required. Helmet look-alikes that do not have a DOT or ECE sticker are known as “novelty” helmets. If your helmet does not have at least one of the above stickers, you should confirm that you are riding with an actual helmet and not, say, a salad bowl. FIM: A relatively new standard, the FIM rating is used for helmets that meet safety criteria established by motorcycling's global racing organization for track use.The current standard is SNELL M2020 for street use. This is a voluntary testing procedure, and is only required by certain race bodies. SNELL: Standards determined by the Snell Memorial Foundation.This multinational standard is used by more than 50 countries in Europe, and any helmet with this sticker must meet the current ECE 22.05 standard. ECE: Standards determined by the Economic Commission for Europe.The DOT rating currently in effect is federal standard FMVSS 218, and any helmet with the DOT sticker should meet these standards (more on that later). These stickers represent different certifications, and depending on your lid, you may see one or more of these: If you have ever spent any time staring at the back of your helmet (and let’s be honest, who hasn’t?), you probably noticed a bunch of different stickers. This group of scientists, engineers and generally smart cookies established methods of testing helmets for effectiveness. Instead of getting a tattoo with his name, Pete’s friends and family decided to cherish his memory by creating the SNELL Memorial Foundation in 1957. When race car driver Pete Snell was killed in a 1956 crash, he was wearing a helmet similar to the Roth design. This futuristic lid had it all: an inner layer made of a “substantially non resilient material,” floating inner suspension system, hard outer shell with a visor, and even a chin strap to hold it on! This became the standard for motorcycle helmet design in the 1950s. It was not until a Californian named Herman Roth patented a protective helmet with an internal, energy-absorbing liner, that the modern helmet was born. The Cairns crash helmet was a great start, but it really only protected a rider from penetration injuries (i.e., things getting stuck into your head). From his testing, the first “crash helmets” were born. Lawrence was treated by a neurosurgeon named Sir Hugh Cairns, who was compelled to study the effects of head trauma during a motorcycle crash. Lawrence (known as “Lawrence of Arabia” to his groupies). Real change in helmet technology finally came in 1935, with the over-the-handlebars death of writer, army officer and historical badass T.E. Sounds safe, right? These helmets were so effective that many board track racers lived through several races! The first helmets were made of leather and kind of resembled upside down cowhide diapers. We take for granted the virtual cornucopia of helmet styles, materials, colors, shapes and sizes that are instantly available to the modern motorcyclist, but in the early days of motorcycling, a century ago, options were a bit more limited. Before we learn about the helmet safety testing of today, it might be helpful to get a little background on the roots of rider head safety.
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