Originally Posted by
JohnJ80
It's unfortunate that the CPSC standards were enshrined in law. They pretty much stopped a lot of safety innovation in helmets.
If you believe that the CPSC drop test on top of the helmet from a proscribed height translates into equivalent safety in all such rated helmets, then this is true. A helmet with more coverage of the head will protect from more intrusive injuries from aspects other than a straight down from the top. So it's not true that all CPSC helmets provide identical protection or performance. It is true that they all pass the same test. The question is whether that test is representative of what the helmet is actually called upon to do in real life. I don't think it is. In point of fact, I'd wonder if the test they use bears any real resemblance to even the most common hits that helmets take. Let's just say, I'm not impressed with the CPSC methodology or testing.
Okay, I'll clarify my statement - all helmets tested in the small study I mentioned above were put through a few standard CPSC test protocols and all were found to limit the force on the skull from impact to about the same g-force value.
Therefore it appears that the 20 dollar helmet is equal to the 200 dollar helmet, at least in a controlled situation involving forces on the head. I don't know why you started talking about helmet penetration. I also don't know why you think my conclusion was based on the fact all the helmets passed the same test. Sure, everyone in a high school classroom passed 8th grade, but that sure as hell doesn't mean they're all academic equals.