What Are Helmet Ratings, And What Do They Mean?

Im sure you have heard of or seen stickers for helmet ratings, things like DOT, or Snell or ECE, but what are they, what do they mean and how should they impact which helmet I purchase?

Before we dive in to each rating, we would like to say that though helmet certifications are important, they are not the end all be all to motorcycle safety. One of the most important things for a helmet to be safe, even more than a certification, is fit. A proper fitting helmet is key as a helmet that doesn't fit you properly is dangerous and could have negative effects on your safety. Also because a helmet doesn't have a specific rating or certification doesn’t necessarily mean that a helmet is bad, or unsafe. It is important to remember that most helmets from good quality, reliable manufacturers will be safe, it might just be a matter of the manufacturer not paying to have their helmet certified by the governing body of that certification standard, the helmet not being produced for a country that requires a specific certification or a number of many other reasons. Not sure which helmet or certification to go with? Give us a call, shoot as an email, or come see us in person and we can help you out!

ECE 22.05 and 22.06 (European Commission for Europe) 

European standard used in over 50 countries. Helmets meeting this certification are tested for impact resistance, penetration and retention system performance. Impact testing occurs at different points, including the top, sides and chin area. Every helmet that is ECE certified must be tested by an independent body using the anvil method. Some of the pros for ECE certification are a very low peak energy being allowed, an extensive battery of testing for a variety of safety related features, as well as the use of eight different head forms and a variety of testing variables to make the tests more thorough. 

In our opinion the ECE 22.05 and the now more modern ECE 22.06 certifications are a good test of how well a helmet will perform. It is not necessarily a bad helmet if it doesn’t have an ECE certification, but typically if it has one, it will be a good and safe helmet. 

DOT (Department of Transportation or FMVSS 218)

The department of transportation standard is the benchmark for motorcycle safety in the United States. This standard focuses on impact attenuation, penetration resistance and the strength of the retention system.  Some of the pros are that a high energy testing scheme is utilized, one that uses a hemispherical anvil and two strikes per location. The two strikes can be anywhere within a large coverage area and the maximum allowable energy transfer is a peak of 400g. The downside to the DOT standard however is that a limited number of head forms are used, testing is not always complete or thorough with no testing for optics, removability, friction resistance and a few other important factors, and lastly, the certification is done on an “honor system” meaning that not all DOT stickered helmets are actually helmets that have passed the DOT test. But again, a reputable helmet manufacturer like those we carry will always test their helmets before they come to market.

In our opinion DOT has some good going on, but it is typically one of the more basic certifications. 

SNELL or SNELL Memorial Foundation (M2020D and M2020R) 

Snell is an independent authority in the United States that sets voluntary standards for motorcycle helmet safety. These standards are recognized for rigorous testing procedures, ones that often exceed the requirements set by the DOT. There are two versions of the SNELL standard, one is M2020D, this one is more inline with original Snell standards, like the ones found in the M2015 requirements, and M2020R, this one more closely aligning with European standards like ECE 22-05 and FIM. Some Pros to SNELL are the use of an extreme “edge” anvil for testing impact energy, a very low allowable peak energy of 275g, and the fact that technicians are actively searching out weak points on the helmet to ensure the most thorough testing possible. Additionally testing for stability, removability and face shield shatter resistance are also included. A few cons are that SNELL testing is private, so it comes at a higher cost, meaning that typically this is reflected in a higher retail price for SNELL helmets. Additionally SNELL is a bit more race oriented, so street features like internal sun shields or most modular designs don’t make the cut for SNELL certification. 

In our opinion SNELL has for many years been the gold standard for helmet certifications and is still a solid standard to this day, providing safety and helmet effectiveness, however it is at times too race specific in its approach meaning that a great quality street based helmet may not meet Snell standards, but that it can still be a great and very safe helmet. Additionally, since most tracks now allow ECE certification for riders, helmet manufacturers are opting not to undergo the expense of SNELL testing in some instances.

FIM (Federation Internationale De Motorcyclisme) 

FIM is a global racing organization that was founded in 1904 and represents over 100 motorcycle federations. They recently introduced their own standard for racing safety equipment, airbags, helmets and more. The FIM standard is much more race/track focused than others. FIM is much younger than the other standards listed, but does a solid job in rating/certifying helmets for track use. 

SHARP (British Government)

SHARP is a certification that we don’t see much of in the states as it is a standard that was created by the British Government to improve road safety. It technically doesn’t approve motorcycle helmets for sale but instead it rates European model helmets using a star rating system. Again this is not a standard used here in the United States, and none of the helmets that we carry specify a SHARP rating. 

Remember, if you are still unsure which route to go, give us a shout, we are happy to help!