While holding the helmet in my hand, it slipped and dropped onto the ground - hard surface in the pit area. Does it still provide the protection it originally did? Or is it better to be safe and get a new helmet? BTW, it's a Bell M2 fiberglass helmet.

Thanks,


/Rog

 

That kind of force is unlikely to change the rating or characteristics of the protection. That doesn't mean it CAN'T be damaged but I wouldn't be concerned. Of course, if you're using the helmet for high-speed protection (road-racing, etc.), it may be better to be safe than sorry. Since it's an "M"-rated helmet, I'll wager this was at an autocross. In this case, unless you can see cracks, etc. you should be safe...

 

Wow, I thought I'd generate flames for saying the same thing. Here's another attempt: The head injury protection comes from the cheezy foam inside. The shell provides intrusion protection and protection for the foam that does the job. Unless a pointy object happens to slip into some unseen crack, you should be OK.

Fiberglass helmets, though, are the most likely material to develop a stress crack, though, I think.

 

As I understand it helmets absorb energy by self destructing, in other words, use it once and buy a new one. In your case, the inner foam should be undamaged, but I would check for stress fractures/damage in the fiberglass/plastic covering carefully.

 

There's a bit of variation in helmet designs by application. Yours being for car racing, it's probably fine. I have the exact same helmet, and it's pretty sturdy.

Were it a motorcycle helmet though, I might be concerned. Bike helmets are designed to absorb one, and only one, hard impact. A relatively light drop can be enough to ruin the structure, even if it appears fine on the outside. Just an FYI...

 

Helmets work by deforming the foam to decelerate your noggin. The shell only exists for two reasons: to protect the fragile liner and to prevent intrusion by an object (like something pointy. The shell isn't what deforms in a crash.

Though the Snell SA and M testing standards are slightly different the shells and liners of the two helmets are made the same way on the same factory lines. There are a couple of other small differences like the SA shell can't be gas soluable (I don't think any are anymore) and the visor must have a positive (rather than friction) lock. The Snell site lists all of the differences in testing but one shouldn't surmise that test differences result in production differences in the general configuration of shells or liners.

That said, we've argued ad nauseum about this before.

 

Just wanna say thanks for the info, guys.


/Rog

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jzr
[B]There's a bit of variation in helmet designs by application.

 

OK on this same line of questioning I have one.
If you read manufacturer's data on helmets and I may have seen this on the SNELL site also, they recommend a new helmet every 3 or 4 years if I recall correctly the number of years they specified.
Is it really necessary to replace what looks to be a beautiful helmet?
Now I have always treated my helmet with lots of care, I'm traumatized if it gets a scratch and I take as much care as I can to make sure my head and hair are as clean as possible. The idea behind the replacement was based upon our dirty heads causing the inner liner to break down and loose some of its integrity.
What do others think?
Is this just a ploy to sell more helmets?
Should I replace my 4 year old $300 Shoei that looks beautiful?
Is this just a way of suggesting to people to keep your helmet up to current SNELL ratings?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Triple-H
[B]OK on this same line of questioning I have one.
If you read manufacturer's data on helmets and I may have seen this on the SNELL site also, they recommend a new helmet every 3 or 4 years if I recall correctly the number of years they specified.
Is it really necessary to replace what looks to be a beautiful helmet?
Now I have always treated my helmet with lots of care, I'm traumatized if it gets a scratch and I take as much care as I can to make sure my head and hair are as clean as possible. The idea behind the replacement was based upon our dirty heads causing the inner liner to break down and loose some of its integrity.
[B]What do others think?