Snell-Approved Helmets

[Raptor]

The only reason why I look down so much upon our PSB standards is because I don't know what kind of destructive testing they actually do? Do they actually have a place where these tests are carried out? What standards are they meeting up to?

 

Helmet drop from 10 storey HDB must only show scratches and no cracks on the shell?????

 

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

How long has PSB been around? Is it a world class recognised standard? Or only recognised in Singapore?

 

The Snell Foundation has been around for donkey years and recognised worldwide.

 

Which helmet would you wear?

[Demon]

The only reason why I look down so much upon our PSB standards is because I don't know what kind of destructive testing they actually do? Do they actually have a place where these tests are carried out? What standards are they meeting up to?

 

Helmet drop from 10 storey HDB must only show scratches and no cracks on the shell?????

 

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

How long has PSB been around? Is it a world class recognised standard? Or only recognised in Singapore?

 

The Snell Foundation has been around for donkey years and recognised worldwide.

 

Which helmet would you wear?

 

PSB was known as SISIR previously, so they have been here for quite a while.

 

PSB sets the standard for everything we use here, and they also carry out Environmental Quality Testings (EQT) for commercial, and some military standards. So PSB is definitely credible.

 

Few years back, I have seen them doing some tests on helmets. Although the equipment used in the testings may not be high-tech, the testing methodologies are derived from established standards used in US, and EC. Hopefully things could have improved there.

 

Don't put PSB down too much. If LTA depends solely on Snell M2005 standards, then that may deprive the local market of budget helmets. And no flip-up helmets have ever been approved and certified under Snell M2005.

 

[normanlai]

my personal opinion without any standards approval stuff...

 

most of the time if a vehicle hits a bike, the biker is LUCKY to be alive. most of the time the driver gets out of the wrecked car unscathed or minimal neck pain, shocked, pissed, but seldom bleeding and needing immediate medical assistance.

 

If you only wear a helmet hope to preserve your life in an accident, if its a severe accident i think u can save your head but end up with either many months in hospital, or some limb suffered massive damage.

 

the insurer may limit your claims due to contributory negligence, so lets say, your bills hit 30k (operation, medicine and hospital stay these days not cheap), because of your 300 dollar helmet, u claim only 70% (optimistic), u still got to pay 9,000 dollars out of your poor despatch/student pocket.

 

Many times i see fancy full face, but with tee shirt, berms, slippers. Why? a few possibilities.

1. buy helmet, no money left for armoured jacket/boots (full suit cost 1k cheapest)

2. Weather so hot, stop at junction get baked... siao

3. Just going to get some lunch, siao ah?

4. friends laugh at u, u feel out of the clique u wear less (stupid)

 

based on SIM/NP students. a good percentage wear FF, but with simple cotton/denim jacket, jeans, slippers. (i myself guilty too). What do u think happens if u if a taxi (yes i hate em) hits u at just 70kmh?

 

 

Mizuno boasts their wave design of their shoes transfers energy bla bla bla

Asics has 101 designs for various needs

Nike has a whole range of stuff designed to help u run better

 

will your IPPT get gold instead of just pass, coz of your new shoes?

[Raptor]

And no flip-up helmets have ever been approved and certified under Snell M2005.

 

I wonder why.

[contrarian]

The only reason why I look down so much upon our PSB standards is because I don't know what kind of destructive testing they actually do? Do they actually have a place where these tests are carried out? What standards are they meeting up to?

 

Helmet drop from 10 storey HDB must only show scratches and no cracks on the shell?????

 

Can anyone enlighten me?

 

How long has PSB been around? Is it a world class recognised standard? Or only recognised in Singapore?

 

The Snell Foundation has been around for donkey years and recognised worldwide.

 

Which helmet would you wear?

 

PSB certifies according to the standard Spring Singapore standard SS 9 : 1992 Protective helmets for motor cyclists

(Amendment No. 1, May 1994, Amendment No. 2, January 2004)

It covers requirements for helmets to be worn by riders and passengers of motor cycles and motor cycles with side cars excluding participants in competitive events. Does not specify requirements for accessories such as visors, goggles, detachable peaks and detachable face covers. Includes tests for chin guard, oblique impact, etc. and provides for the use of alternative headforms.

 

If you are that interested, you can buy the standard from Spring for S$34 and read instead of continually speculating.

 

On the matter of cracks on the shell, frankly it proves nothing. Fibreglass helmets will crack with impact - that is meant to happen as the shock gets dissipated instead of transferred to the head. That doesn't mean that fibreglass is inferior to polycarbonate which doesn't crack like fibreglass on impact.

 

For your race track use, Snell helmets could likely be better. For normal road use, I personally believe that a softer helmet certified to say ECE 22.05 could likely be better because it is meant to transmit less impact onto the head.

[Raptor]

For your race track use, Snell helmets could likely be better. For normal road use, I personally believe that a softer helmet certified to say ECE 22.05 could likely be better because it is meant to transmit less impact onto the head.

 

I beg to differ.

 

The roads ARE definitely more dangerous than the track.

[contrarian]

I beg to differ.

 

The roads ARE definitely more dangerous than the track.

 

I agree that the roads are more dangerous than the track.

 

That's exactly why a helmet than doesn't transmit as much force to the head upon impact would theoretically be safer than a harder helmet which is built to the Snell standard.

 

"A hit as hard as the hardest single Snell impact may only happen in 1 percent of actual accidents. An impact as severe as the Snell two-strike test happens just short of never. People falling off motorcycles hardly ever, ever hit their head in the same place twice."

 

"Snell standard helmets that are designed to withstand two hits at the same site. But doing so severely compromises their ability to take one hit and absorb energy properly. The consequence is, when you have one hit at one site in an accident situation, two things happen: One, you don't fully utilize the energy-absorbing material that's available. And two, you generate higher force on the head than you need to."

 

"If you're going to land on flat pavement when you crash—and you almost always do—you can afford to wear a softer ECE or DOT helmet, because softer helmets do a very good job of absorbing big impacts—even really, really big impacts—on flat surfaces."

 

What the softer helmet, like those certified to European standards, does is to dissipate the impact of the first hit more. The result - less force transferred to your head.