| When obtaining a motorcycle helmet it is very | | | | There are other safety tests out there. One of the |
| important that your helmet is safe for use on the | | | | best is the Snell approval test. This is a very |
| roads. You want to know that you are safe from | | | | thorough test on the helmets. When a helmet is both |
| harm when you are investing in something that could | | | | DOT and Snell approved it is safe for use. |
| save your life you want to be sure it is something | | | | Snell cites the following areas as critical in helmet |
| worth the money you spend. | | | | safety:o Impact management: how well the helmet |
| It is not necessary to pay a lot of money when you | | | | protects against collisions with large objectso Helmet |
| are buying your helmet, there are just a few things | | | | positional stability: whether the helmet will be in place, |
| you want to look for. The most important thing you | | | | on the head, when it's neededo Retention system |
| want to make sure of is that the helmet has been | | | | strength: whether the chin straps are sufficiently |
| DOT tested and approved. | | | | strong enough to hold the helmet throughout a head |
| The Department of Transportation has certain | | | | impact; ando Extent of protection: the area of the |
| regulations that helmets have to meet in order to be | | | | head protected by the helmet. |
| street safe. If a helmet is not DOT approved it is not | | | | Snell Memorial Foundation, Inc. ( 2005). 2005 Standard |
| legal to wear on the street when riding your | | | | for Protective Headgear, 4. |
| motorcycle. | | | | Helmets don't always have to be both DOT and Snell |
| The DOT performs a straight forward impact test. | | | | approved. One or the other is great. To be legal on |
| Using a simulated head placed inside a helmet, testers | | | | the roads you have to be DOT approved, but you |
| drop the helmet from a height of ten feet. The head | | | | don't have to be Snell approved. The Snell approval is |
| cannot receive more than 400 G-force units on | | | | just an added bonus when looking for a helmet. |
| impact. A G-force unit measures the force of gravity | | | | It is important to know that you are safe when you |
| exerted against an object in motion. | | | | are out there riding your motorcycle. |