What is their difference? DOT, ECE, SNELL

A helmet covers a greater proportion of a rider’s head and face area and it should provide excellent protection in the case of an accident. For instance, a full-face helmet out-perform an open-face model due to its shell wrapping around the rider’s chin and jaw line with its durable plastic shield protecting the eyes, nose and cheek areas.

There are many helmet safety standards in the industry. The most famous ones are DOT, ECE, SNELL, which are widely recognized. What are their difference?

DOT / FMVSS-218

DOT stands for Department Of Transportation (where I used to work 10 years ago)

In North America, the most common standard is DOT FMVSS-218, which is administered by the U.S. Government and is more commonly referred to as DOT. This standard is mandatory for every motorcycle helmet sold in most states of the United States and Canada. As you know, some states do not require wearing helmets on roads, but importation of helmets requires DOT certification.

Anyway, DOT consists of a battery of tests to gauge impact protection, the retention system’s ability to keep the helmet firmly attached to the rider during such impacts, and how the helmet’s design affects the rider’s peripheral vision among other considerations.

ECE / 22.05

It is used in over 50 countries, mostly in Europe. It is administered by the Economic Community of Europe. While similar in many ways to the DOT standard, ECE tests for energy absorption and helmet rigidity at greater impact speeds and requires that a sample from each manufacturing batch be re-tested for compliance. This is an important difference, for under DOT regulations, a model that passes can essentially be sold forever without being re-tested. ECE standard is not mandatory and valid in US street.

SNELL / M2005

This standard is administered by the Snell Memorial Foundation, a private, California-based organization dedicated to helmet research and testing. The market consider it is the best and safest standard so far. Helmets are subjected to a battery of tests that gauge retention system strength, positional stability (whether the helmet shifts dangerously during an impact), and whether they can withstand penetration tests from numerous angles; even chin bars and face shields are impact tested. Similar to ECE requirements, Snell-approved helmets must be re-tested for compliance on a regular basis. Compared to other two requirements, SNELL is harder to pass. The new version of M2010 has come out this year.

The important thing to know is that Snell motorcycle helmet standards are voluntary. Helmet manufacturers build to Snell standards because they want to (Of course, costing them more to manufacture helmets, but earn reputation) and they build to DOT, ECE 22-05 or other standards because they have to (mandatory by law).

Showing Snell sticker on the back is compariable professional. Many racers certainly obtain helmets with SNELL standards, which are usually more expensive.

And if it comes to a choice between what a manufacturer wants to do and what it has to do, they will give up Snell for DOT or ECE 22-05 every time.

Luu & Lustig