Motorcycle helmet certification has been in the news for some time now ever since the government proposed a ban on non-ISI certified helmets in India. And these certifications have surely been quite a bamboozlement as well. A lot of us have been rallying for international standards like Europe’s ECE or independent Snell certifications. But we’ve got a bit of bad news – according to a report by ultimatemotorcycling, the US’ DOT certification has been found to consistently lack in safety standards – as revealed by the federal government data.
Under contract by the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), independent California-based Act Labs tested DOT helmets for labeling and performance. From 2014 to 2019, the firm tested 167 helmets with 105 (62.8 percent) failing the labeling portion and 72 (43.1 percent) helmets failing the performance trials.
The helmets tested by Act Labs in 2019 came from Bell, Scorpion, Shoei and HJC and you can look up specific models on the website of Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance. All of these are reputable brands but buyers may want to seek out helmets with additional other safety standards. Bottom line is that you can still pick an, for example, HJC with ECE certification and not worry about your head.
Also read: Mavox FX22.D2P Helmet Review | Looks better than its worth, but can perform better than it does
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About helmet standards in India, back in 2018 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced a new norm for motorcycle helmets under which the maximum weight of the helmet should be 1.2 kg. But then later on the norm was revoked as it could lead compromise on shell integrity. ISI helmets can now be 1.5 kg in weight.
There are still several fights to be fought to make helmet wearing something people do out of self-preservation and not government intervention. The helmet manufacturers association in India is also trying to get the government to lower GST on helmets so they are cheaper and more and more people would gladly adopt them. Because currently India may be the largest two-wheeler consumer in the world but it is not the biggest helmet user.
