Quote:
Originally Posted by adouglas
Have you seen the helmets they give you at MSF courses? They're all old and ratty. I have no doubt whatsoever that my helmet, retired only because of the arbitrary age limit, is in better shape.
True that helmets also protect from static falls, but they are DESIGNED for impacts at speed. Safety helmets (hard hats) are designed only for the kind of impact you're talking about and they are much lighter and flimsier. Even an expired MC helmet will give that kind of protection. It's not as if the thing is going to suddenly turn into sintered Chinese baby formula and disintegrate at 5 years plus one day.
Actually I just show up and leave it there. They can do what they want with it.
|
Have you actually looked at the testing requirements for dot, snell and ece certifications? That is exactly what they test, static falls onto anvils with an appropriate weight in the place of the head.
And, you should also read the OSHA requirements for hard hats. They only test for impact resistance, not dispersion. They are essentially testing the helmets ability to resist being punctured or fractured, and not it's ability to disperse the impact.
It's essentially impossible to design a motorcycle helmet that properly protects against both high speed impacts and low speed impacts. Most helmets are designed towards the lower end of the spectrum, as it is much more likely that a helmet will contact the ground (vertical low speed impact) than some stationary object (horizontal high speed impact). This is the exact change in thought that recently occurred with the changes in dot and snell testing over the last decade. They are now testing for a lower amount of energy transfer, vs resistance to impact (hardness). The harder a helmet is, the better it resists impacts, but the more energy it transfers to the wearer.
Yes, your helmet won't turn into baby formula at 5 years plus one day. I personally will use helmets past 5 years if I know the history of them (i.e. if I know they have been washed frequently, not dropped, not left on top of the gas tank, not worn and sweated in every day for five years). One thing that people need to understand about the "5 year" figure that is thrown around is that it is only a guideline. If you ride every day, or commute and your helmet gets lots of use you may need a new one before that five year figure. If you don't use it often and take care of it, it can last longer than five years.