Originally Posted by
qcpmsame
It is a shame that bicycle helmets don't have independent testing organizations like Snell Foundation. Even the DOT helmet requirements and the European Unions' requirements (for motorcycle and automobile racing) are much more thorough than the CPSC standards Bicycle helmets are subject to. The testing is more thorough and is ongoing for new helmets and in research into new materials and designs. The stickers for Snell, DOT or EU in a helmet mean something to motorcyclist and automobile racers. They have definite time limits for helmet life spans and these are researched not just a shop employee trying to sell more helmets. (UV and airborne pollutants do cause breakdown of the shells and the padding degrades, as well, from sweat and heat/cold cycles. We could do better for our helmet standards.
Bill
Hi,
Back in the late 1980s to early 1990s, bicycle helmet manufacturers did certify their high-end helmets to the Snell standard of that time. A quick perusal of the Snell Foundation web site shows that most manufacturers who certify to the Snell bicycle helmet standards are those who sell downhill mountain bike and BMX helmets (with the apparent exception of Specialized).
I seem to remember that there was some kind of controversy regarding the Snell testing techniques versus the design of helmets at the time but I can't remember what it was.
I'm not conversant on the current helmet standards and all I know is that current helmet designs seem much better than those back when the Snell standard was important. In fact, for whatever reason, I recollect that USA Cycling dropped the Snell certification requirement back in the 1990s and the organization only requires CPSC certification. Of course the Snell standard has changed, but according to the web site it looks like it hasn't changed in quite a while.