When it comes to protecting yourself on the road, it’s obvious that wearing a helmet is the number one preventative measure you can take against injury.  Unless you are trying out for Jackass, you wouldn’t head butt your driveway, right? So why would you fly 70 mph above the asphalt without a helmet, trusting that teenager texting behind the wheel to see you?
And most riders know that the helmet they buy should have some sort of safety standard, but many times they are unsure of what those standards are, or what the manufacturer did meet that standard.
So many times we have customers who come in and say, “I want a Snell helmet.” Or, “My helmet has to have that DOT sticker on it.” Thumbs up for caring about saving your skull, but do you know why you want that helmet? Do you know what kind of testing the manufacturer performed on your type of helmet? Aren’t all standards the same?
Jazz Motorsports did a little research on motorcycle helmet standards to bring you up-to-date on what’s going on on top of your head.
OK. Let’s break it down. The four most common types of standards are DOT, Snell, ECE, and BSI.

Who regulates the standards?
DOT – Department of Transportation
Snell – Snell Memorial Foundation
ECE – United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
BSI – British Standards Institute

What’s the test like?
DOT – The helmet is dropped onto flat and hemispherical anvils a total of 8 times (twice on four different spots on the helmet). DOT also has guidelines for peripheral vision and the helmet’s ability to stay on the head.
Snell – Same as DOT, but also has an additional test where the helmet is dropped onto a steel edge (to simulate a guardrail) one time. Snell also tests the chin straps, chin bars, and flame resistibility, in addition to performing shell and faceshield penetration tests.
ECE – Helmet is dropped four times at four different spots onto a flat and curbed anvil. ECE also performs the same tests as Snell, as well as a sandpaper test to simulate the helmet sliding across the pavement.
BSI – Helmet is dropped onto flat and hemispherical anvils twice at three different sites. Also performs variations of the ECE testing.

How does a helmet manufacturer obtain the certification?
DOT – Honor system - Helmet companies design and manufacture their helmets based on DOT standards, then they give themselves the DOT certification. Some spot testing is performed by government agencies.
Snell – Helmet manufacturers submit 6 helmets per model to Snell to be tested. If the helmets pass the tests, the manufacturer is permitted to purchase the Snell certification for that model only. Snell also performs their own random sample testing by purchasing and testing previously Snell certified helmets.
ECE* – Manufacturers submit a batch of helmets to be tested. After the batch passes once, the helmet must be tested again in order to receive certification.
BSI – Manufacturers submit batches of helmets based on the number of helmets they are planning to release for sale to the public. For example, if the manufacturer is planning on selling 500 helmets, they must submit five for testing; 13 for testing at 501-1,200 helmets; and 20 for 1,201 to 2,000 helmets. If the batch passes all of tests, BSI will provide certification stickers for that batch of released helmets. There is no cost for this certification.

*It is important to note that the ECE certification is required in over 50 countries worldwide, and that the ECE standards meet or exceed those of DOT.
So, how are we rewarding you for caring enough about your head to read this boring (yet important) little spiel? Use the code “helmet: at checkout for extra savings.
Ride smart, so you can keep riding.