Understanding Motorcycle Helmet Ratings
When in the market for a motorcycle helmet it's important that you understand the motorcycle helmet ratings used to ensure you get the right helmet for your needs. Let's start with the most important basic. If the helmet isn't rated then you shouldn't buy it. The helmet should have a tag on the liner or a sticker on the exterior. If you can't find the sticker then don't buy it. The safety standards for helmets are set by either DOT or by Snell which is an independent research lab that covers North America. Hopefully you will never personally test your helmet but incase the need arises you want to know your helmet's going to do what it is suppose to do. Wondering who the heck DOT is? It's the Department of Transportation safety certification and it sets a minimum requirement that a helmet must meet. The DOT inspection sticker must be easily visible should an officer want to inspect your helmet. No DOT certification means it doesn't even meet the basics. Is that what you really want? Now DOT doesn't actually test the helmets. It trusts the manufacturer has done so and it operates on an honor system. On top of that fake DOT stickers have hit the market and those helmets wearing the fake sticker would never pass the required basics. Now here is some good common advise to follow. Cheap is bad in helmets. If you find a great looking cheap helmet that isn't attached to a well known manufacturer don't buy it. Leave it on the shelf and go look at helmets that are made by makers that have a reputation in the industry for producing fine products. Buying one of those cheap helmets from an unknown manufacturer is putting your health at risk. Let's hope you never have an accident or wipe out but since our world isn't perfect and life tends to throw us a curve ball every now and then wearing a helmet that's cheap could cost you your life or leave you as a vegetable. So much for those savings. They sure aren't worth it! Instead be smart and spend the amount of money needed to buy a brand name helmet that you can trust. After all how can you put a price on your life? Snell is another standard that's used in North America. It actually stands for Snell Memorial Foundation and it is an independent lab that does a lot more tests than DOT does. The manufacturer is required to submit their helmet for testing and then SNELL tests them. Trouble is SNELL testing is expensive and so manufactures don't always submit their helmets. However if a helmet has the SNELL certification you get an added sense of security about what you are putting on your head. Professional riders will tell you that if you can afford a SNELL certified helmet buy it. The SNELL certification is way more important than the generalized DOT certification. Find the style and color that you love and then check the motorcycle helmet ratings to see if it will keep your noggin safe in an accident. After all scrambled brains isn't really a menu item you want to serve up is it? |
