I'm often asked by customers & retailers what the differance is between approved and non approved helmet as well as the difference between hard foam & soft foam helmets and whether there is a huge amount of differerance in their construction and the amount of protection they provide.
In short, sometimes it just comes down to whether or not a helmet has been tested and approved.
In Australia, some helmets are available that are approved in North America and Europe are not approved in Australia, due to the expense of testing and approval in what is a small market. This does not mean they are any lesser helmet that approved models, and in some cases, they may even be better. But from a legal perspective, they can only be sold as an off road or park use helmet.
It really comes down to where and how you will be using the helmet, and selecting the right one for your specific purpose. As general rule, soft foam is OK for low speed small falls and impacts, hard foam will offer superior protection for higher speeds and falls from larger height and on hard surfaces.
If you are riding on the road ALWAYS wear a AS/NZS 2063:2008 approved helmet.
Here is what BERN HELMETS offer IN 3 DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION CONFIGURATIONS.
Our THIN SHELL & ZIP MOLD models are available in AS/NZS 2063:2008, which are approved for use as a road cycling helmet. If you are a bike shop, selling helmets to go with bicycles or you are selling scooters or other 'recreational vehicles' which will be ridden on the street, this is what you should be selling and recommending to your customers. Both variants use stiff EPS foam designed to handle the more violent impacts you may encounter on the street, such as a collision with a motor vehicle or high speed fall.
Our HARD HAT CONSTRUCTION (not allowed to be sold as a 'helmet' in the USA, due to the legal definition, hence the name HARD HAT) features BROCK FOAM, this is a really cool moisture wicking material superior to what you will find in 'soft foam' or '2 stage foam' of other brands of helmets on the market. It had a tough ABS shell, the same as our THIN SHELL EPS models. This helmet is designed for multiple lower force impacts, such as taking small lower speed multiple falls on a mini ramp or small skate park. If you are going to ride vert or larger concrete parks, you really should be looking at something with the higher impact protection offered by EPS or 'hard foam' models.
There is no helmet in the world that can eliminate the possibility of a bad head injury when you fall or collide with something. But you can reduce the risk of receiving a severe or permanent injury by the selecting the right helmet for the conditions you will be using it in.
Here is a link regarding AS/NZS 2063:2008 helmets in Australia with some useful information.
http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/bicyclehelmets
I hope this helps, if in doubt please contact me for further information or consult a reputable retailer when making a helmet purchase.
No comments:
Post a Comment