Originally Posted by
I-Like-To-Bike
Are you that positive that there are no bad actors involved in the manufacture or importation of helmets on the market who may not follow all the rules when there is some money to be made, perhaps by applying labels to products that have not been tested IAW the Standard or did not pass all the required tests?
Would I be naive to think that somehow, somewhere, a non-conforming helmet has never entered the country? Absolutely. I mentioned don't buy helmets from zero star sellers on eBay located in Guangdong, China, as one way it could happen. DO I think that buying a helmet from any big box store, sporting goods store, bike shop in America, that you are going to encounter stock that the importers have stuck out their neck to risk sanctions for a manufacturer who made shoddy goods? Absolutely not.
Of course, the nature of your argument means you only have to find one case to prove yourself right, so if you want to argue that somewhere a crappy helmet exists in America, I'll concede to you. I still retain the more helpful argument is that all helmets must meet a certain standard to be sold in the US, and therefore one shouldn't really worry about safety when buying a helmet at Wal-Mart vs the LBS.
Now, if we want to have a spirited discussion about the merits of the test procedure performed, I'm all for it
