FAQs about Snell and Helmets
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Who/What is Snell?
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William "Pete" Snell was an amateur auto
racer. He died needlessly in a racing event in 1956 when his then state-of-
the-art helmet utterly failed to protect him. In memory of Pete a number of his friends,
colleagues and fellow racers including
Dr. George Snively, formed the Snell Memorial Foundation to try to improve
helmet design and capabilities, and to encourage the development and use of truly protective
helmets.
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Why wear a helmet?
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Auto racing, motorcycling, bicycling, skiing and any activity that incorporates
speed, agility and a head all impose risks of head injury leading
to death or permanent disability. Helmets are the single most effective
means of preventing these injuries.
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Why wear Snell-certified helmets?
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The protective capability of a particular helmet is difficult to measure.
One can quickly judge a helmet for style and price, and with only a little
effort for fit and comfort as well. It is much more difficult to gauge what
a helmet can
do when someone's skill, experience and every other precaution have failed,
when his helmet's the only thing between his head and a violent collision.
The Snell Foundation knows. We destroy thousands of helmets every year
to find out. Snell Certification is our assurance that a helmet has measured
up to the highest standards for protective performance time and again.
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Why Snell certification and not some other assurance?
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Snell Standards
are the most demanding. They are set to levels of protective performance
that only the best, most protective headgear will meet. But
Snell Certification is more than high standards, it is testing. Helmets
must first pass Snell Certification testing by Snell technicians in Snell
labs to qualify for our programs. Then samples of these helmets regularly acquired
directly from retailers and distributors must continue to pass in order
to remain in the Snell programs. Snell Certification is your best assurance that
your helmet will perform its most important function: save your life when
all your judgment, skill and luck have failed to keep you from harm.
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How much does Snell certification cost and who pays?
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Once a helmet has been accepted into the Snell certification program, the
Foundation charges the manufacturer for all testing, the acquisition of random samples
and for each Snell Certification label that goes into each certified helmet.
However, these costs along with every other production cost get passed
along to you the consumer.
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Current Price List - Adobe
tm pdf format
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Why do Snell-certified helmets cost more?
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Snell certified helmets are available in almost every price range. Other
features such as style and comfort are also important in determining
helmet price. However, building consistent protective performance into a helmet does
cost money. The costs are in the design and development, the materials and most of
all in quality control. Snell certification is your best
assurance that the manufacturer has made, and continues to make this investment
in your safety.
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What does Snell do with the money?
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The Foundation spends the biggest part of its income on operating the
certification and testing programs . There are all of the standard operating
costs such as rents and staff, as well as maintenance on it's test facility in California,
equipment repair
and replacement, and all the other expenses associated with operating a non-profit
business. The rest goes to the Foundation's extensive educational programs and
research projects.
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What are the differences between the SA, M and K standards?
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The SA standard was designed
for competitive auto racing while M standard was for motorcycling and other motorsports.
The K standard was released to accommodate helmets used in karting. There are three major differences between them:
- The SA standard requires flammability test while the M and K standards do
not.
- The SA and K standards allow for a narrower visual field than M standard (Some
SA and K certified helmets may not be street legal).
- The SA and K standards include a rollbar multi impact test while M standard does not.
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Why does Snell make my racing association upgrade to the newest Snell
Standards?
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In short, we don't. Snell always makes itself available to explain
our standards and programs. We may even offer recommendations on
some issues regarding head protection. Each association and/or track has the responsibility for the safety
of its members or participants, which generally creates a unique set of issues that must be dealt with, and rules
to be set accordingly.
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How do helmets work?
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Helmets are normally comprised of four elements; a rigid outer shell, a crushable
liner, chin straps or a retaining system and fit or comfort padding. The rigid outer
shell when present adds a load-spreading capability, and prevents objects from penetrating the
helmet. It's kind of like an additional skull. The liner, usually made of EPS (expanded
polystyrene) or similar types
of materials absorbs the
energy of an impact by crushing. The chin strap when properly buckled
and adjusted along with the fit padding helps the helmet remain in position
during a crash.
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Helmets work kind of like a brake or shock absorber. During a fall or
crash a head is traveling at a certain speed. Since the head has weight, and is
moving there is a certain amount of energy associated with the moving head. When
the helmet along with the accompanying head impact an unyielding object; a rock,
a wall, a curb or the ground the hard shell starts by taking the energy
generated by the falling helmet (head) and spreads it over a larger portion of
the helmet, specifically the internal foam liner. The foam liner then starts to
crush and break which uses up a lot of the energy, keeping it from reaching the
head inside. Depending on how fast the head is traveling, and how big,
heavy and immovable the object is the faster the head slows down, and the more
energy is present. In short everything slows down really quickly. A helmet will
effectively reduce the speed of the head by breaking and crushing which reduces
the amount of energy transferred to the brain. The whole process take only
milliseconds to turn a potentially lethal blow into a survivable one.
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Why should you replace your helmet every five years?
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The five year replacement recommendation is based on a consensus by both
the helmet manufacturers and the Snell Foundation. Glues, resins and other
materials used in helmet production over can affect liner materials. Hair oils, body fluids and cosmetics,
as well as normal "wear and tear" all contribute
to helmet degradation. Petroleum based products present in cleaners, paints,
fuels and other commonly encountered materials may also degrade materials used
in many helmets possibly degrading performance. Additionally, experience indicates there will be
a noticeable improvement in the protective characteristic of helmets over
a five year period due to advances in materials, designs, production methods and the standards. Thus, the recommendation for five year helmet replacement
is a judgment call stemming from a prudent safety philosophy.
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Why won't Snell certify some types of helmets like flip up front designs?
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Snell does not dismiss out of hand any helmet design that strays from
the conventional. Snell does not point out any design specifications
other than general requirements in our standards. We are however,
always concerned with innovations and new designs that may effect the helmet's
ability to protect the wearer, or in some cases the helmets potential to
cause injury. At present the Foundation has not had the opportunity
to test any of the flip up front type helmets for certification. We do not
find any fault with these designs as long as they are used according to
the manufacturers instructions and meet all of the requirements of the standard. We will also certify any size of
helmet as long as it meets the same requirements as any other Snell certified
helmet.
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How do you test a helmet, do you stand around hitting people on the
head?
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This question is probably the winner of the most Frequently Asked Questions
award, and all I can answer is "Not Anymore". Actually the testing of
helmets is a fairly straightforward process. While most helmet testing
is denoted "performance testing" (How well a device or piece of equipment
performs under defined conditions that are analogous to real life situations),
rather than "materials testing" (The testing of materials that will be
used in the construction of an item, to a defined set of conditions in
controlled settings) it is really a combination of both. This is
because it would be virtually impossible to perform a true performance
test on a helmet that would be at all repeatable, and that you could readily
ascertain a helmets capabilities in a variety of scenarios. What
has been decided is that testing needs to replicate possible stresses the
helmet might see in a wide variety of incidents rather than to try to duplicate
a real life incident. True to this philosophy a helmet is tested
for a variety of criteria: retention strength, stability (how well the
helmet will stay on), penetration resistance, chin guard strength (if applicable),
face shield integrity (if applicable), and most importantly impact energy
management. Most helmet standards also have requirements for coverage
and visual clearances. Helmet testing is a destructive process meaning
that all tested helmets are destroyed during the testing process. All of
the requirements of the Snell standards
are described in each individual standard.
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So, why aren't all helmets certified by Snell?
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Some helmet manufacturers do not believe that they need Snell to demonstrate
that their product is among the best protective headgear. Others believe
that they need only to produce helmets that meet Government or consensus
helmet standards, and some try and just can't make the grade. A very few
helmet makers are truly inconsiderate of the consequences of making an
inferior safety product (they are not usually around very long).
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- Where's the Snell label located?
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There are two forms of the Snell serialized label. The most common is the
adhesive label, but there is also a cloth type for the M, SA and RS standards.
The adhesive label, or decal is usually affixed somewhere on the inside of the
helmet. If it is not readily visible, check underneath the flaps of the
comfort padding. The cloth type labels a generally sewn onto the chin strap and
folded over. If a thorough search fails to turn up a decal then regardless
of any claims or advertisements your
helmet is not part of the Snell certification program and does not have the
confidence of the Foundation.
- What's the difference between a $100 Snell certified helmet and
a $400 Snell certified Helmet.
- While helmets are primarily a
protective device, the true protective capabilities of a helmet, if needed will only come
into play for about 2 to 4 milliseconds during the lifetime of the
helmet. This leaves a lot of time for that helmet to be doing nothing more
than sitting around on a users head. Producing a product that meets the
standards is not really very difficult. Producing a helmet that people
will buy and wear, and will consistently meet the standards is significantly
more difficult. The Snell standards do not measure
factors like comfort, ventilation, brand recognition or style, and only
indirectly look at fit, weight, materials and workmanship. These are factors
that frequently drive helmet cost.
- I dropped my helmet! Do I have to go buy a new one?
- Generally the answer is probably not. Helmets are one use items, but
are quite durable otherwise, at least the ones we certify. Frequent dropping or
spiking a
helmet on the ground, or other hard surfaces may eventually degrade the helmet's performance.
Similarly if the helmet falls to the ground at highway speeds unoccupied the
owner must be aware that some degradation may have occurred. In general the real damage comes when the helmet contacts an object with a head
inside. The Foundation recommends that if you are participating in an
activity that requires that you wear a helmet, that you avoid hitting stuff with
your head. It can be difficult to readily determine if a helmet has been
damaged, and the protective capabilities compromised without a thorough
inspection by a trained professional. Some manufacturers may provide this
service or direct you to these others that can perform these inspections.
The Foundation recommends that if you suspect your helmet may be compromised,
then replace it. If the helmet has been involved in an impact while in use,
replace it.
- How about aftermarket accessories?
- Each year we get a whole bunch of questions about different aftermarket
helmet attachments. The Snell standards and testing applies strictly to
whole helmets and how they perform out of the box. Snell does not test, or
qualify aftermarket helmet accessories. We only certify complete helmet
structures. The addition, subtraction or modification of any part, component or
structure integral to the performance of any Snell certified helmet may void
completely, or in part the Foundation's ability to support claims of Snell
certification for that helmet. This generally does not include cosmetic changes
such as painting, unless it is performed contrary to the manufacturers
recommendations.
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