When you're in the market to buy a helmet, safety is obviously on your mind. But it can be hard to know what helmets are the safest. That's why it's important to be knowledgeable about the motorcycle helmet safety standards.
When you're looking at motorcycle helmet safety standards, you should know that there are two different groups giving certifications. The government's certification that minimum safety standards are met is given by the Department of Transportation.
There are some things to keep in mind about the DOT safety standards. First, any helmet which is certified will have a certification displayed on the helmet. A police officer can ask to see that certification, to prove your helmet is legal.
Another piece of information about DOT certification is that is doesn't involve government testing. Helmet manufacturers do the testing, and place the stickers on the helmet to certify their compliance under an honor system.
There is a second motorcycle helmet safety standard used in North America. It is known as the Snell Memorial Foundation, or simply SNELL. It uses independent laboratory testing, and is not affiliated with the government.
The SNELL testing is more complex than DOT certification, and involves more and different types of tests. The testing is done by SNELL at their laboratories, and is not performed by the manufacturer.
The SNELL testing method is not perfect. Because it is independent, it can be prohibitively expensive for manufacturers. It is also performed on a smaller number of helmets than the DOT tests.
When buying your next helmet, SNELL certified is the way to go if you have the money and find a helmet you enjoy. DOT helmets are also usually quite protective, but SNELL helmets meet the highest motorcycle helmet safety standards.