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So you make a great helmet, why not make it better by adding MIPS?

wildbears

New member
Some of the best and most successful helmet manufacturers still don't use MIPS or similar technology in their helmets.

So why don't they add this and make a safe helmet even safer???

https://www.asphaltandrubber.com/products/mips-motorcycle-helmet/

And do the SNELL standards result in helmets with not enough cushioning for the usual street crash???

(Do standards for racing helmets work for helmets used for street riding at legal speeds?)

Is crash data better than lab testing???

What is the role of computer modeling?

Lot's of debate out there.

Here's an article with some of the different views on this subject:

Is the SNELL motorcycle helmet certification overrated?

And here's a site that rates over 400 helmets for safety using a UK system:

https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/helmets/

In some respects, the debate is reminiscent of the one about seat belts when they were first introduced.

Here's more fuel for the fire.

"When you shop for a helmet, you're bound to see mentions of DOT certification, Snell certification, and if that wasn't confusing enough, now the ECE certification is in the mix. What do they all mean? We decode them for you."

Ref: https://www.bikebandit.com/blog/motorcycle-helmet-faqs-dot-snell-and-ece

"THE HEAD-LINE: HOW THE FIM ARE CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF HELMET SAFETY"

Ref: https://ontrackoffroad.com/2019/04/23/the-head-line-how-the-fim-are-changing-the-perception-of-helmet-safety/

And then there's the question of liability. Could lawsuits arise from standards where there is insufficient cushioning resulting in severe brain trauma from crashes occurring at street-legal speeds?

AND

Is there a need for a two level standard? Should impact cushioning be different for street helmets versus race helmets?
 
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As in so many industries, technology keeps advancing safety measures that can be incorporated into products.
 
Read the discussion on the Snell website. The current MIPS technology leads to a softer (weaker) EPS (styrofoam) shell, elevating the risk level in a direct impact. The "hoped for" MIPS benefit might be achieved with the plusher inner liner of the better quality helmets.
 
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