overdose
June 6th, 2007, 02:18 AM
heres some interesting articles
Safety Certifications C! Vol. 3 issue 9 September 2004
Many riders here in the Philippines tend to go for cool-looking helmets with nice graphics but which are not necessarily well made. Others wear helmets just to avoid being apprehended by the traffic officers. To know if a helmet is reliable, though, you have to check if it has any well known “safety certifications” issued for helmets.
What is a “safety certification”? There are several government or private organizations that conduct tests to certify that a helmet is safe enough to protect a rider in most situations. Those organizations usually have rigid standard for the following:
Impact: The shock absorbing capacity of a helmet
Penetration: The helmet’s ability to withstand a blow from a sharp object.
Retention: The chin strap’s ability to stay fastened without breaking
Peripheral Vision: The helmet should provide minimum side vision of at lest 105 degrees to each side.
In the U.S., there have historically been two helmet standards for motorcycle helmets. The Snell Memorial Foundation issues its own motorcycle helmet standards.
(Snell Memorial Foundation is the most widely recognized certifying body in the U.S.)
The FMVSS 218 or DOT is the mandatory U.S. government standard that all motorcycle helmets must meet for sale and use in the market.
Unknown to most Filipino Riders , the most generally accepted helmet safety certification in the world is from the Economic Community of Europe (ECE) called the ECE 22.05. The ECE 22.05 is required by over 50 countries worldwide. While the ECE 22.05 approved helmets will pass the DOT certification, it’s not always the cast eth other way around because the European certification requires testing at higher speeds than DOT.
(The Economic Community of Europe is the certifying body for the E.U. Market)
There are many helmets sold in our market with DOT and Snell stickers at the back, but you have to be careful in spotting the fake ones. The easiest way to find out is to check if the helmet is really being sold in the U.S. market (surf the Internet for this) or do a European Internet search in the case of ECE 22.05 helmets.
Last Word
Helmets with safety certifications can cost from as low as Php 1, 800 to s much as Php 30,000.00++ (top of the line Arai full face) . So the big question is: How much should one budget for a good quality helmet?
Types of Helmets C! Vol. 3 issue 9 September 2004
What are the types of helmet available today? There are actually quite a number of types, but to keep things simple, the most popular are the full face, the open face, and the more recent flip-up helmets.
Full face helmets
A full face helmet is a helmet that pretty much covers your entire head and has an opening in front usually exposing only your eye and nose. It also has a movable face shield that can be operated with one hand. This helmet is generally regarded as the safest type.
Most sports bike riders prefer this kind of helmet. Motocross helmets are considered full face helmets, but usually without the face shield. Even if it may be the safest of helmet, however, some people don’t like it because it can be quite uncomfortable if worn for a long time. Claustrophobia comes to mind. Some also find a full face helmet distracting, especially in hot and humid Philippine weather.
Open Face Helmets
If the full face helmet can offer you the most protection, the open face or three quarter helmet can offer you the least acceptable protection. As the name suggests, your face is exposed while wearing this helmet, with usually only a big face shield to help you protect your eyes from wind while moving. You don’t feel as hot wearing this since your face is exposed. This makes your trip more relaxing.
As stated earlier, though, such comfort has a trade-off. It’s up to you to determine if this level of protection is acceptable for you. (Of note: Open face helmets are usually popular with cruisers [think Harley Davidson] and scooter riders.)
Flip Up Helmet
While the full face helmet offers the most protection and the open face helmet offers the most comfort, the recently developed flip-up helmet offers the best of both.
The flip-up helmet looks like a one piece full face helmet when viewed from afar; upon closer inspection, you can tell it’s made from two parts. The front portion can be lifted up to make your helmet look similar to an open face helmet. This is especially convenient if you have to eat something, smoke or if you just want to get some fresh air.
In the past, flip-ups were not very popular because they were quite expensive (between Php 8,000.00 to Php 20,000.00++) However, as more manufacturers have developed their own flip-up designs, one can now be had for as low as Php 3,500.00 with still the al important safety certifications
Safety Certifications C! Vol. 3 issue 9 September 2004
Many riders here in the Philippines tend to go for cool-looking helmets with nice graphics but which are not necessarily well made. Others wear helmets just to avoid being apprehended by the traffic officers. To know if a helmet is reliable, though, you have to check if it has any well known “safety certifications” issued for helmets.
What is a “safety certification”? There are several government or private organizations that conduct tests to certify that a helmet is safe enough to protect a rider in most situations. Those organizations usually have rigid standard for the following:
Impact: The shock absorbing capacity of a helmet
Penetration: The helmet’s ability to withstand a blow from a sharp object.
Retention: The chin strap’s ability to stay fastened without breaking
Peripheral Vision: The helmet should provide minimum side vision of at lest 105 degrees to each side.
In the U.S., there have historically been two helmet standards for motorcycle helmets. The Snell Memorial Foundation issues its own motorcycle helmet standards.
(Snell Memorial Foundation is the most widely recognized certifying body in the U.S.)
The FMVSS 218 or DOT is the mandatory U.S. government standard that all motorcycle helmets must meet for sale and use in the market.
Unknown to most Filipino Riders , the most generally accepted helmet safety certification in the world is from the Economic Community of Europe (ECE) called the ECE 22.05. The ECE 22.05 is required by over 50 countries worldwide. While the ECE 22.05 approved helmets will pass the DOT certification, it’s not always the cast eth other way around because the European certification requires testing at higher speeds than DOT.
(The Economic Community of Europe is the certifying body for the E.U. Market)
There are many helmets sold in our market with DOT and Snell stickers at the back, but you have to be careful in spotting the fake ones. The easiest way to find out is to check if the helmet is really being sold in the U.S. market (surf the Internet for this) or do a European Internet search in the case of ECE 22.05 helmets.
Last Word
Helmets with safety certifications can cost from as low as Php 1, 800 to s much as Php 30,000.00++ (top of the line Arai full face) . So the big question is: How much should one budget for a good quality helmet?
Types of Helmets C! Vol. 3 issue 9 September 2004
What are the types of helmet available today? There are actually quite a number of types, but to keep things simple, the most popular are the full face, the open face, and the more recent flip-up helmets.
Full face helmets
A full face helmet is a helmet that pretty much covers your entire head and has an opening in front usually exposing only your eye and nose. It also has a movable face shield that can be operated with one hand. This helmet is generally regarded as the safest type.
Most sports bike riders prefer this kind of helmet. Motocross helmets are considered full face helmets, but usually without the face shield. Even if it may be the safest of helmet, however, some people don’t like it because it can be quite uncomfortable if worn for a long time. Claustrophobia comes to mind. Some also find a full face helmet distracting, especially in hot and humid Philippine weather.
Open Face Helmets
If the full face helmet can offer you the most protection, the open face or three quarter helmet can offer you the least acceptable protection. As the name suggests, your face is exposed while wearing this helmet, with usually only a big face shield to help you protect your eyes from wind while moving. You don’t feel as hot wearing this since your face is exposed. This makes your trip more relaxing.
As stated earlier, though, such comfort has a trade-off. It’s up to you to determine if this level of protection is acceptable for you. (Of note: Open face helmets are usually popular with cruisers [think Harley Davidson] and scooter riders.)
Flip Up Helmet
While the full face helmet offers the most protection and the open face helmet offers the most comfort, the recently developed flip-up helmet offers the best of both.
The flip-up helmet looks like a one piece full face helmet when viewed from afar; upon closer inspection, you can tell it’s made from two parts. The front portion can be lifted up to make your helmet look similar to an open face helmet. This is especially convenient if you have to eat something, smoke or if you just want to get some fresh air.
In the past, flip-ups were not very popular because they were quite expensive (between Php 8,000.00 to Php 20,000.00++) However, as more manufacturers have developed their own flip-up designs, one can now be had for as low as Php 3,500.00 with still the al important safety certifications