Helmet question

[jester911]

I have a question about track helmets. Are they different from motorcycle helmets?

[kstylianos]

I had the same question this weekend when I went helmet shopping/fitting at OG Racing.

Apparently motorcycle helmets are designed to displace/absorb energy from one sudden impact where SA (car) helmets are designed to protect from multiple impacts.

[addictionMS]

nomex liner as well in car helmets, it would have to be pretty wild for a motorcyclist to have a fire engulf their head

Jim

[DanS911]

MY understanding is that there is only the fire resistance difference in the two. I have never heard about the impact thing.

[ajackson]

I think that the fire resistance difference is correct. There are several helmets that come in two certs, M and SA and the SA one is just fireproof.

[jyl]

Here's the SA2000 standard. http://www.smf.org/standards/sa20std.html

This is the "repeated impact" part:

The capacity for impact protection is determined by direct measurement of the shock delivered through the helmet to a headform when the helmeted headform is dropped in a specified manner onto any of three unyielding anvils. A fourth anvil is used to test impact protection for repeated strikes against a roll cage assembly.

And something about resisting exploding engines:

The helmet must also resist penetration by projectiles such as parts of exploding engines or other damaged mechanical assemblies. This capacity is tested by placing the helmet on a headform and dropping a metal cone of specified mass and geometry onto the shell. The tip of this cone must not penetrate to the headform

And the fire resistance part:

Since race drivers are frequently unable to escape quickly from accident involved vehicles, their helmets must also provide some measure of protection against fire. Exposed helmet components, whether internal or external must be flame resistant. They must not be combustible and when exposed to high temperatures, must self extinguish when the heat load is removed.

Helmet components are tested separately for flame resistance by exposing them to a direct propane flame of a specified temperature for specified time periods. When the flame is withdrawn, each of these components must self extinguish within a specified time limit. Furthermore, when the helmet shell is tested, the temperature of the padding or lining materials within the helmet that would presumably touch the wearer's head must not exceed 70C.

The chin strap must also be flame resistant. The chin strap will be tested similarly to other helmet components. It must not melt and must self extinguish within the allowed time.

Makes you not want to participate in any activity where you'd need a SA2000 helmet, doesn't it? I'm not letting my wife see this.

[DanS911]

Great stuff John. So the repeated impact clause is more about banging on a roll bar that "more than one incedent" impact.
I think the fireproffing info was the most frightning. The're talking about the paint and the chin strap as well as the padding.

[addictionMS]

thanks for the details, I learned something today....

Jim

[ChrisBennet]

While the impact tests for the SA and M helmets are different, I wonder if the helmets themselves are different except for the fire resistance.
-Chris

[Danskman]

You will also find that the M helmets usually have a larger eye opening (laterally).

[Brother]

So what do most clubs/tracks require? SA or M?

[jacko241]

I know SCCA requires SA certification. SA, by the way, stands for "special application".

[Jack Olsen]

In my Simpson model, there is no difference at all between the M and SA version, other than the Nomex lining. I know this because I was sent an incorrectly labeled helmet, and Simpson 'serviced' it by replacing the lining with the Nomex version and re-labeling it as SA approved (this, in spite of the fact that it already had the Nomex lining when I sent it in).

That isn't to say the testing isn't different, obviously. But I think the manufacturers probably reduce their overall costs by making one shell that meets both standards, rather than producing the tooling for two different models.

[Brother]

You're probably right Jack.

I was reading through Saferacer.com and learned all about it. For SA it just has to be fire retardent all over - including paint and stickers.

[jluetjen]

So the repeated impact clause is more about banging on a roll bar that "more than one incedent" impact.

Definitely. No matter which helmet your talking about (Motorcycle or Autoracing), they are single use items. One hit or accident and you should scrap them and/or return them to the Manufacturer to be checked. This is because part of their design is that the shell is pre-stressed so that it "pops" upon impact to disipate the energy of the impact. Once it "pops", it's junk.