![]() ![]() Snell rated helmets are safer, because they are tested beyond the government requirements for a basic D.O.T. However, occasionally helmets do fail, and then they are sent back to the manufacturer for a redesign. Currently, most helmets that arrive at the foundation for testing do pass the tests as the helmet manufacturers engineer the helmets with the Snell standards in mind. The goal at Snell is “impact energy management,” which means when the outside of your helmet stops, the inside of the helmet should let your head “ride down” the impact by compressing the inner layer of the helmet, so your brain doesn’t feel the heavy hit.įor the SA 2015 standards, the SA rated helmets are being hit harder than the M rated helmets. ![]() If the G’s felt are above 243 G’s for a size large helmet, the helmet fails and does not receive a Snell certification.Įd said helmet manufacturers have their own choice in how they build a helmet, Snell does not mandate a construction process, they only designate the tests the helmet must pass in order to be certified. No, they don’t use live humans for this test, for obvious reasons. Sensors inside the helmet measure the G’s felt by the simulated head. One of the tests performed is when a helmet has a 6.1 kilogram metal head placed in it (yes, kilograms because scientists use the metric system), and then the helmet is dropped from 11 feet. The simple answer is helmets are test rated by bashing them into things. To find out how helmets can earn a Snell rating I spoke with Ed Becker, executive director and chief engineer at the Snell Memorial Foundation. ![]()
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