2Wheeltips

Helmets are required to be DOT certified.  In addition to DOT certification, some helmets also carry SNELL certification.  What is the difference?  Basically, keep this in mind:  all SNELL certified helmet are DOT certified, but not all DOT certified helmets are SNELL certified. 

Both DOT (Department of Transportation) and SNELL (SNELL Memorial Foundation) have their own standards used to test helmets.   The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 is the one that DOT uses and it dates back to 1974; the SNELL Memorial Foundation uses a standard that is updated every five years.  Some of the other basic similarities and differences between DOT and SNELL certification are:

DOT and SNELL assess each helmet by placing it on a head form that is equipped with sensors. The helmeted head form is then dropped from a specific height onto a steel anvil, and the severity of the impact is recorded.

Both standards drop the head forms on flat and hemispherically shaped anvils in order to simulate different types of impacts. However, SNELL also uses an edged anvil that specifically tests the integrity of the helmet's shell.

While both DOT and SNELL drop their helmets to simulate crash impact, SNELL drops the helmets from greater heights, simulating more severe crash impact and require the helmets to withstand greater impact and more force than the DOT standard.

SNELL certification requires a manufacturer to submit 5 helmets of a particular design, for testing; 4 of the 5 helmets are tested and the last helmet is saved as a sample.  DOT relies on the manufacturer of the helmet to do self-certification.  Periodically, the government will conduct spot audits on the helmet manufacturer.  In 2001, when performing a spot audit on 40 helmets, DOT found a 20% failure rate among some of the helmets.  Once found and reported, it was up to the manufacturers to bring their helmets into compliance.

Although their testing process is very similar, SNELL requires their certified helmets to withstand a greater impact and absorb more force than the DOT standards.

In order for a company to claim that their product is SNELL approved, they have to submit five helmets for testing. Four of those helmets are tested and one is saved as a sample product. If the helmet design passes the tests, the manufacturer enters into a contract with SNELL. This contract allows SNELL Memorial Foundation to buy helmets from the manufacturer and test them on a continual basis in order to ensure quality.

The bottom line:  if you want the safest helmet for your money (and your head!), choose a helmet that has the SNELL certification on it; it will meet or exceed DOT helmet standards.