Nearly two-thirds of bicycle-related deaths involve head injuries, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports. Bicycle helmets protect riders from serious injury in the event of a collision, but not all helmets are created equal. Cyclists should use only helmets meeting accepted safety standards.
Types of Tests
All helmet safety standards involve an impact test. The helmet is strapped to an upside-down headform and dropped onto an anvil. The anvil may be flat, hemispherical, curbstone, or some other shape designed to test a specific impact. Instruments in the headform measure the force transmitted to the wearer's head, which must fall below a level specified by the standard. Additional tests may include positional stability, which is helmet's resistance to sliding off the wearer's head in a collision, or other features.
CPSC Standard
Bicycle helmets sold in the US since March 1999 must follow the CPSC's helmet safety standards. Helmets must pass three impact tests: being dropped 2 meters onto a flat anvil, 1.2 meters onto a curbstone anvil, and 1.2 meters onto a hemispherical anvil. Bicycle helmets must also demonstrate positional stability, give good peripheral vision, and their straps must be strong enough to keep the helmet on during impact.
Snell Standard
The Snell Memorial Foundation was created in 1957 in memory of William "Pete" Snell, a race-car driver who died when his helmet failed to protect him in a crash. The foundation's helmet safety standards meet or exceed CPSC and other standards. In addition to bicycle helmets, the organization certifies a range of equipment, including motorcycle, skiing and equestrian helmets. There are two Snell standards for bicycle helmets. The B-90 is similar to the CPSC standard, and the B-95 uses higher drop heights and requires better head coverage. Unlike the CPSC, Snell regularly audits helmets on the market sporting the Snell standard to ensure they meet the requirements.
ANSI/ASTM Standard
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) created a set of bicycle helmet safety standards in 1984, but there was little follow-up and the standards was declared obsolete in 1995. Later that year, the organization decided to adopt as its own helmet standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Confusion remains, however, about whether an ANSI-certified helmet is meeting the old 1984 guidelines or the new ASTM guidelines. The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute recommends looking for CPSC- or Snell-approved helmets instead.
Non-U.S. Standards
Although some countries do not have laws covering bicycle helmets, many others do. Australia and New Zealand share helmet safety standards which are stricter in many ways than U.S. regulations. Canadian standards have become stricter in recent years as they have reduced the g-force allowed for children's helmets. The European Committee for Standardization (CEN, in its French acronym) has combined individual national standards into a single standard, but CEN-certified helmets may not meet CPSC standards.
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