motorcycle helmet safety certification standards

Certified helmets must pass certain testing standards to ensure they are able to protect you in the case of a crash. All of the reputable manufacturers certify their helmets. A helmet that is not certified (eg. novelty helmet) is most likely not able to offer any protection to you in the event of an accident. When choosing a motorcycle helmet take a look at the back bottom of the outside shell and see what safety standards it carries. (See photos in our certification overview section below). If it does not have a safety sticker there, then check into the helmet for a tag attached to the liner. Still no indication of any safety standards… put it back on the shelf.There are many types of certifications the main ones being:

• DOT
• Snell
• ECE
• JIS

What standards?

DOT

DOT certification is a set of safety standards that are set by the helmet manufacturer. It is considered an honor based system as the manufacturer decides whether or not their helmets meet the certification requirements.

DOT is the United States Department Of Transportation safety certification. It is the MINIMUM requirement for any approved motorcycle helmet and must be clearly displayed for yourself and for an officer of the law if he/she wants to inspect your helmet (it does happen in rare occasions). If the helmet does not have a DOT certification on it then it probably does not even met the minimum safety standard! Basically, DOT certification is placed on the helmet in an “honor” system where the government DOES NOT test the helmet but trusts that the manufacturer did test it or else would not be selling it with the DOT certification on it. To make matters worse, there are helmets that are sold with a fake DOT certification on it that do not offer adequate protection either. These helmets would more than likely would fail a DOT test and not meet the minimum requirements you are looking for, but they sell them in the name of good looks and to possibly fool an unwary police officer. A word of advice, usually these are the cheap, "puddin bowl" or beanie type helmets manufactured by an unknown manufacturer (or the manufacturer is not even listed). If the DOT certification suits you just fine then use it and put any bad thoughts of it out of your mind. Buying a DOT helmet for a well known manufacturer is as close to a guarantee that it has passed the DOT standard.

Snell

Snell is a certification standard used in North America and it stands for Snell Memorial Foundation. Snell is dedicated to the memory of William Snell who died in a crash because the helmet he was wearing failed to protect his head.

Snell is an independent testing laboratory which tests helmets further and under more demanding and stricter tests then the DOT standard, some say, are too strict (see 'DOT vs. Snell debate' below). The Snell standard requires that the manufacturer submit 'X' amount of the same helmet to Snell who then tests those helmets themselves. Snell tests are very expensive for manufacturers to do for every helmet they want to sell and the amount of helmets Snell receives from the manufacturers vary in quantity but are of course a lower amount then the manufacturer doing their own tests.

DOT vs. Snell debate

Some motorcycle enthusiasts state that Snell standards are too strict in that they try to protect against high speed crashes that although can happen to an ordinary rider, are rare. The argument is that because of the focus on higher speed crash protection, the helmets are too rigid and do not offer enough absorption of energy from a typical crash impact.

What Type of Helmet do Professional Racers Wear?

The Grand Prix Commission (Dorna, FIM, IRTA, MSMA) reaffirmed the rules for 2006 in the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations (verbatim): Sporting Regulation 2.11.7 - "Helmets must be of the full face type and conform to one of the recognized international standards:

• Europe ECE 22-04 & ECE 22-05 "P"
• Japan JIS T 8133 : 2000
• USA Snell M 2005

ECE

ECE is the European certification standard. Standing for Economic Community of Europe ECE 22.05 is the most common motorcycle helmet certification used internationally - required by over 50 countries worldwide.

North Americans can take comfort in knowing that ECE 22.05 certified helmets meet the demands of FMVSS 218, the North American standard aka the DOT standard. However, the reverse is not always true as ECE 22.05 certification is stricter than DOT and not all DOT certified helmets will meet the ECE 22.05 standards.

If you are looking for a helmet that has passed a stricter certification than DOT and are also looking for an alternative to a Snell certified helmet - an ECE certified helmet may be for you.

JIS

The Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) is the Japanese motorcycle helmet certification standard. The standard is based on Industrial Standardization Law, which is a set of standards set by the Japanese government and regulates all areas of industrial standardization.

make the right choice

Whichever certification you choose make the right choice and feel good that you value your head and brain by protecting it with a safety certified helmet.