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  1. #1
    Very Active Member SPYD3R's Avatar
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    Default DOT HELMET STANDARDS

    Occasionally on SL, we'll have questions on helmets... people ask which are the best, etc...
    my answer always was, "if it has a DOT sticker on it, it means it meets the gov't standards"...
    i no longer think this way after reading various articles such as these:

    https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/201...e-22-05-snell/

    http://www.bikersrights.com/nhtsa/fmvss218.html

    http://silodrome.com/snell-vs-dot-vs...rds-throwdown/




    After educating myself, i'll be looking at helmets from a completely different perspective... hope you do too....
    SPYD3R

  2. #2
    SpyderLovers Sponsor Motorcycledave's Avatar
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    Default Thank You

    Super good info: everyone who values
    their head and what is inside it should
    read this.
    thanks for posting
    MC Dave

    Quote Originally Posted by SPYD3R View Post
    Occasionally on SL, we'll have questions on helmets... people ask which are the best, etc...
    my answer always was, "if it has a DOT sticker on it, it means it meets the gov't standards"...
    i no longer think this way after reading various articles such as these:

    https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/201...e-22-05-snell/

    http://www.bikersrights.com/nhtsa/fmvss218.html

    http://silodrome.com/snell-vs-dot-vs...rds-throwdown/




    After educating myself, i'll be looking at helmets from a completely different perspective... hope you do too....
    SPYD3R

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    Default

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  4. #4
    Very Active Member JerryB's Avatar
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    Hi SPYD3R,

    Re: "if it has a DOT sticker on it, it means it meets the gov't standards"...

    I spent 30 yrs employed by the US gov't. in contract management. One of my primary functions was enforcing 'gov't standards' and accepting certifications. You get a little numb after awhile.

    IMO far too many gov't. agencies accept certifications without any effort whatsoever to determine if they are valid.

    Their mindset ( again IMO ) is that if it has a signature it is OK.

    Can you spell horsepuckey?

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  5. #5
    Very Active Member Deer Slayer's Avatar
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    Default

    $20.00 helment for a $20.00 head.
    If I can't fix it, I will fix it so no one can fix it. Sypder Loco!

  6. #6
    Active Member Bike-O-Din's Avatar
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    Default Meets Government Standards

    Well, most politicians also meet "government standards," so I am not so sure if that is a positive or not.

    Seems these days the standards are pretty low.
    2011 RT-S , Silver

  7. #7
    Very Active Member pegasus1300's Avatar
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    Default

    Spyder3 what did you see that has caused you look at things different, and what are you going to do differently?

    Happy TRAils/NSD
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    Very Active Member oldguyinTX's Avatar
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    SNELL is the highest standard. Above and beyond DOT. They are an independent testing agency Typically, only full face helmets get both the DOT & SNELL ratings.
    "A Wise Man Once Said, I Should Ask My Wife."
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  9. #9
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    ECE surpasses DOT and Snell and is pretty much the standard for bikes. ECE is the only one of the 3 that does abrasion testing.

    Keep in mind that just because a helmet isn't Snell rated doesn't mean it wouldn't pass. Snell currently will not pass helmets with internal visors or modular helmets, even if they would physically pass the tests. Many manufacturers forgo Snell testing because due to the cost to test.

    http://shorecyclesusa.com/blog/2016/...s-snell-vs-ece

    Personally, I worry more about the type of helmet I wear vs the certification (full face vs open face vs 1/2). It's been proven that the cheeks/jaw/facial area is the most common area for damage in a crash.



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    Last edited by DrewNJ; 10-23-2016 at 09:31 PM.

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  11. #11
    Very Active Member SPYD3R's Avatar
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    Default WHAT

    Quote Originally Posted by pegasus1300 View Post
    Spyder3 what did you see that has caused you look at things different, and what are you going to do differently?
    WHAT CAUSED ME....
    read the post from DREWNJ which is 2 below yours, Drew has the perfect answer as to why i'm giving way more consideration to helmets....
    SPYD3R

  12. #12
    Very Active Member JerryB's Avatar
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    Hi DrewNJ,

    Re: ECE surpasses DOT and Snell

    I am not familiar with ECE, could you provide some more info?

    I used to keep up with this stuff, not much so more.

    ANSI still has their Z-90 standard: http://standards.globalspec.com/std/437430/ansi-z90-1

    ANSI is recognized thoughout the engineering world for all kinds of standards.

    Jerry Baumchen
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    Quote Originally Posted by JerryB View Post
    Hi DrewNJ,

    Re: ECE surpasses DOT and Snell

    I am not familiar with ECE, could you provide some more info?

    I used to keep up with this stuff, not much so more.

    ANSI still has their Z-90 standard: http://standards.globalspec.com/std/437430/ansi-z90-1

    ANSI is recognized thoughout the engineering world for all kinds of standards.

    Jerry Baumchen
    Here is a good read with a link that has all the regulation 22 info. The actual download reg will surely put you to sleep....[emoji1]
    http://billyscrashhelmets.co.uk/ece-...crash-helmets/

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    Here is a pretty good Reddit conversation too. Not technical, but a good discussion none the less...
    https://m.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/c...met_overrated/

    IMHO, I don't worry so much about the specific certifications. It's hard to go wrong with any modern major manufacturer full face helmet. The key is also that it fits right. [emoji106]

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    Last edited by DrewNJ; 10-24-2016 at 03:08 PM.

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    It's far more important to have one on your head, than it Is to worry over which one to wear!
    2010 RT A&C, RT-L, RT-L , Orbital Blue, Cognac, Jet Black

  16. #16
    Very Active Member JerryB's Avatar
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    Hi DrewNJ,

    Re: Here is a good read

    Thanks for the link; I might just spend a night reading all of it.

    However, when the article says: They test helmets in a few funky ways under a few even funkier conditions.

    they get me to wondering what the real testing is.

    Thanks,

    Jerry Baumchen
    'I'll never forget what's her name.'

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post

    Bob, did this depiction come with an explanation as to why the two helmets have different numbers? Other than the helmet on the left being smaller, they seem identical. Are we to assume that size alone can create different levels of protection (between identical helmets) among the various areas that they differentiated for evaluation?


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    Very Active Member JimVonBaden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ruralgirl View Post
    Bob, did this depiction come with an explanation as to why the two helmets have different numbers? Other than the helmet on the left being smaller, they seem identical. Are we to assume that size alone can create different levels of protection (between identical helmets) among the various areas that they differentiated for evaluation?
    Same helmet, different sides.
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    So why the different values? Why would the left side protect differently than the right side?


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    Very Active Member IdahoMtnSpyder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ruralgirl View Post
    So why the different values? Why would the left side protect differently than the right side?
    This is a depiction of where helmets are impacted during collisions, not where they're test impacted nor the impact resistance. It would be good to know where the data comes from but it looks like the right side takes more hits than the left side. This would kind of make sense if the data is all from right hand highways and so many of the collisions are with cars coming from the right.

    I didn't add them up but the total of all the percentages should be right at 100%.

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  21. #21
    Very Active Member Peteoz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
    Bob, that didn't have a frontal view as well, did it? I'm claustrophobic, so I only buy 3/4 helmets, and then only Shoei and Arai that wrap around the jaw further than most. It would be great to see the front chin impact.......not that I would change, of course
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    Very Active Member JimVonBaden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ruralgirl View Post
    So why the different values? Why would the left side protect differently than the right side?
    That is not about protection, it is about frequency of impacts by percentage.
    Jim

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  23. #23
    Very Active Member JimVonBaden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IdahoMtnSpyder View Post
    This is a depiction of where helmets are impacted during collisions, not where they're test impacted nor the impact resistance. It would be good to know where the data comes from but it looks like the right side takes more hits than the left side. This would kind of make sense if the data is all from right hand highways and so many of the collisions are with cars coming from the right.

    I didn't add them up but the total of all the percentages should be right at 100%.
    It came from the Hurt Report.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurt_Report
    Jim

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    Very Active Member JimVonBaden's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peteoz View Post
    Bob, that didn't have a frontal view as well, did it? I'm claustrophobic, so I only buy 3/4 helmets, and then only Shoei and Arai that wrap around the jaw further than most. It would be great to see the front chin impact.......not that I would change, of course
    Wearing a 3/4 doesn't change the percentages. It just means you are 30-45% less protected based on the impact studies and your helmet configuration.
    Jim

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    You mentioned that it came from the Hurt Report: how oddly appropriate!
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