TornadoF5
Race Dog
Personally having 2 close friends break their heads and one of them suffering long term effects, it makes me ask a few questions about how safe helmets out there are:
Understanding safety standards e.g. dot, EC 22-05, Snell, VC8016 etc and manufacturers compulsory adherence to one or all of these standards the question is: Are the standards high enough to meet the rigours of e.g. dual sport purposes considering the testing thereof?
I do know having worked for SABS that the standards are industry developed (gathering of all players who sit around a table and decide on the standard) and are a minimum adherence. Iow conformance to the particular standard, which would mean you are only meeting the minimum requirements.
Would be nice to hear from people who have had experience in this particular area other than "this brand or that brand is a great one cause I have had it for years and it looks cool and". I think more grounded experience would help here like "I have fallen on my head 5 time and this is the helmet that prevented the least damage based on this that or the other....." or something like that.
So the questions are:
1. Which brand/s of helmet not just meets, but rather exceeds the safety standard/s requirements out there. IOW which is the safest?
2. Which brand/s of helmets should one steer clear of, EVEN though they meet so called "compulsory" minimum requirements?
3. What design and material for construction yields the safest helmet both inside and out?
4. Does polystyrene still hack it for the inside, or are there better more advanced "modern" products out there. Shock absorption properties of polystyrene surely after pre-war era has to have been superseded by something more efficient and comfortable?
5. When should one replace a helmet?
5.1 Deteriation of helmets over time occur especially inner lining, is it time to replace lining or helmet?
5.2 After a crash when do we know for a fact (other than the obvious crack) if the helmet integrity has been compromised?
6. What is the correct sizing for one, this has been debated I’m aware, but I think worth a good re-look?
7. What are the minimum prices of a good helmet and what brand, seeing we all know what the expensive ones are?
8. Are all importers / manufacturers (in SA) heeding the regulation of 2006 for all motorcycle manufacturers and importers to submit their helmets for homologation?
Understanding safety standards e.g. dot, EC 22-05, Snell, VC8016 etc and manufacturers compulsory adherence to one or all of these standards the question is: Are the standards high enough to meet the rigours of e.g. dual sport purposes considering the testing thereof?
I do know having worked for SABS that the standards are industry developed (gathering of all players who sit around a table and decide on the standard) and are a minimum adherence. Iow conformance to the particular standard, which would mean you are only meeting the minimum requirements.
Would be nice to hear from people who have had experience in this particular area other than "this brand or that brand is a great one cause I have had it for years and it looks cool and". I think more grounded experience would help here like "I have fallen on my head 5 time and this is the helmet that prevented the least damage based on this that or the other....." or something like that.
So the questions are:
1. Which brand/s of helmet not just meets, but rather exceeds the safety standard/s requirements out there. IOW which is the safest?
2. Which brand/s of helmets should one steer clear of, EVEN though they meet so called "compulsory" minimum requirements?
3. What design and material for construction yields the safest helmet both inside and out?
4. Does polystyrene still hack it for the inside, or are there better more advanced "modern" products out there. Shock absorption properties of polystyrene surely after pre-war era has to have been superseded by something more efficient and comfortable?
5. When should one replace a helmet?
5.1 Deteriation of helmets over time occur especially inner lining, is it time to replace lining or helmet?
5.2 After a crash when do we know for a fact (other than the obvious crack) if the helmet integrity has been compromised?
6. What is the correct sizing for one, this has been debated I’m aware, but I think worth a good re-look?
7. What are the minimum prices of a good helmet and what brand, seeing we all know what the expensive ones are?
8. Are all importers / manufacturers (in SA) heeding the regulation of 2006 for all motorcycle manufacturers and importers to submit their helmets for homologation?
