Quote:
Originally Posted by gfloyd2002
I love the Sharp site. Only problem is that the impact points it tests (upper sides, top of head, forehead) aren't the most common points of impact, which tend to be lower on the helmet. So great to use as one reference, but with a grain of salt.
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My understanding is that SHARP tests all the same impact points as described in UN ECE Regulation 22.05 with the exception of impact site S, the chin guard area on full face helmets. Their reasoning is that the current ECE regulation 22.05 offers adequate testing in that area and thus, all the ECE certified helmets that SHARP tests offer appropriate protection in that area already. From what I've read, the SHARP tests are largely based of off the findings from the COST 327 report. There was no recommendation or findings in that report to justify or necessitate the need to improve or alter the current testing methods of the chin guard area presently used in ECE 22.05.
What the SHARP tests did implement from that report is that they followed the recommendations for a higher impact velocity than that currently used in the ECE regulation 22.05 testing and raised it from 7.5 m/s to 8.5 m/s. At the same time, to ensure that performance at lower velocities were not compromised in favour of the higher velocity test, SHARP also puts the helmet through the ECE standard 7.5 m/s velocity test and also a lower velocity test of 6.0 m/s. SHARP also claims that the twin wire guided test method which they use allows for more accurate test results compared to the free motion test apparatus used in the ECE tests.
At the end of the day I guess there's no such thing as a perfect certification standard. My opinion is that the SHARP standard, although not without its criticisms, offers value when viewed as a testing standard in addition to ECE regulation 22.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Havok
Snell only requires them to be tested once.
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Although not the same as the batch testing done in the ECE standard, Snell does do random sample testing of previously certified helmets to ensure that the model still meets the certification standards. I may be wrong here, but I think Snell also does the test on multiple samples of the same model for the initial certification.