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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/8168667/New-safety-ratings-for-motorcycle-helmets-revealed.htmlNew safety ratings for motorcycle helmets revealed Motorcycle helmets might all look similar but there are major differences below the surface, as new test results reveal.
SHARP - the Department for Transport's Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme - has assessed 218 helmets By David Williams 4:58PM GMT 29 Nov 2010 Comments Official safety ratings for 16 new motorcycle crash helmets have been published, coinciding with the launch of the Motorcycle Live show in Birmingham.
The latest batch of tests by SHARP - the Department for Transport's Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme - takes the total number rated to 218.
All helmets must meet minimum legal safety standards but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to give riders more information on how much protection each helmet can provide in a crash. The advice, which includes guidance on how to select a good fitting helmet, helps riders choose the safest helmet suitable for them.
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The SHARP tests - which award ratings of between one and five stars - showed that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as much as 70 per cent. With helmets across a wide price range scoring highly, says the DfT, all riders should be able to find a high performing helmet in a size and style that fits them and at a price they want to pay.
"We estimate that 50 deaths could be prevented each year if all riders wore the safest helmets available," said Transport minister Mike Penning. "That is why I am delighted to be announcing new SHARP ratings. I urge anyone going to the motorcycle show who is thinking about buying a new helmet to visit the SHARP stand to find out more.
"By making sure that motorcyclists have access to the best safety information, promoting further training and safe riding and reminding drivers to look out for bikers, I hope that we can improve safety for motorcyclists and reduce the number of tragedies we see on the roads each year."
Three helmets in the latest batch score the top rating of five stars. They are the Bell M3R, Shoei QWest and Caberg V2 407. Most of the others scored four stars with one helmet, the Vemar Midas, scoring only one point.
