by Gabrielle DeSantis

Just as airbags ensure car safety, helmets are paramount to motorcycle safety. Different standards are used to enforce the safety of helmets and indicate they’re legal and safe. They include DOT, Snell, and ECE certifications, all of which are conducted by different organizations and involve different tests. So, which one has the best safety rating?

The importance of motorcycle safety gear

Motorcyclists wear varied safety gear, including riding suits and even airbag vests. But helmets are essential.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, “researchers analyzed 3,600 police reports of on-highway motorcycle crashes. This and other research has established that helmets save lives.”

Helmets greatly reduce the number of head injuries, a component

How DOT motorcycle helmets are tested

DOT (Department of Transportation) helmets are mandatory in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enforces this standard, and it is overall considered a minimum for any protective motorcycle helmet. The tests involve putting the helmet on a dummy head, which has instruments to measure force and speed.

The first set of tests involves two drop tests. One is on a spherical anvil, and the other is on a flat anvil, both from a height of about two meters. This test is designed to measure the impact force of a crash, determining if the helmet is protective.

Next, there is a penetration test. This ensures the impact will not carry through to the head, rendering the motorcycle helmet ineffective. The test uses a pointed striker to accomplish this, which is dropped from a specific height. If it goes through the helmet, it will fail the test and not receive a DOT certification.

The final test is for the retention system. This ensures the helmet won’t fly off the rider during a crash, which would make wearing the helmet pointless. Force is applied to the helmet for two minutes, and if the helmet stays on, it passes this portion of the test.

Though the DOT certification is widely used, it has received criticism. Companies must label the DOT certification themselves, meaning they could lie about whether the helmet was tested. If the helmet undergoes testing from then on, consumers likely would have bought it already and used the potentially faulty helmets while riding.

That said, if a company lied, it would face a hefty fine of thousands of dollars per helmet. This consequence means most manufacturers are less motivated to lie about passing helmets. 

ECE motorcycle helmets are considered the safest

The ECE is less widely used in the States because the Economic Commission issues it for Europe. However, according to Bike Bandit, it’s “actually the most widely used in the world; it is recognized by over 50 countries and every major racing organization you can think of.”

Of all three certifications, it goes the most in-depth in testing a motorcycle helmet’s safety.

The drop test, as with DOT and Snell certifications, is still included. However, it is only on a flat anvil, not anvils of different shapes. It also doesn’t include a penetration test. Though it’s debated whether certifications reflect real-world motorcycling conditions anyway, these two factors could indicate a potential flaw.

Other than this, though, the ECE tests far more than the other two certifications combined. This includes testing the chin strap buckle, the chin strap’s tension failure, the helmet’s abrasion resistance, the visor, and the shell deformation. For this reason, ECE helmets are largely considered to be the safer standard over DOT or Snell.

In addition, the ECE also tests 50 helmets, which mitigates the risk of defective helmets slipping through. Also, unlike the DOT standard, manufacturers cannot self-certify. Instead, witnesses from the manufacturer and ECE must testify the helmets passed the tests.

What are Snell motorcycle helmets?

The Snell standard is also widely used in the United States. The nonprofit Snell Memorial Foundation enforces this standard, unlike the DOT standard, which the U.S. government enforces. As a result, the certification isn’t required, but it may indicate a safer motorcycle helmet than just the DOT. In addition, Snell tests prototype helmets rather than just the final product, meaning manufacturers can make tweaks to the final helmets based on the results they receive.

The tests are similar to the DOT standard, but they go into more detail. Rather than using two anvils, Snell uses five. The drop heights are also higher, and the organization tests not only the top part of the helmet but also the chin bar near the bottom. Snell’s testing also involves shooting the visor with an air rifle, which the DOT does not.

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The post Which Has the Best Safety Rating: DOT, Snell, or ECE? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Drivers typically want to avoid crashing their cars and causing accidents, but it’s the name of the game at a demolition derby. They’ve existed for decades and have a storied history as a result. Read on to find out what a demolition derby is, the origins of the competition, and its history up to the present day.

What is a demolition derby and how does it work?

According to Merriam Webster, the definition of a demolition derby is “a contest in which skilled drivers ram old cars into one another until only one car remains running.” Each one is subject to its own rules and winning requirements, but overall, it’s a “last man standing” type competition.

According to Performance Plus Tire, the most common cars used for competitions are rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive vehicles. One popular rear-wheel-drive vehicle is the Chrysler Imperial from model years 1964-1968. It’s an incredibly durable vehicle, and some demolition derbies even disallow it from their competitions. Another popular choice is the Ford LTD, which is incredibly durable as well. The Ford Escort and GM W-Body vehicles, meanwhile, are both durable and affordable front-wheel drive vehicles.

Rather than specific vehicles for demolition derbies, however, experienced competitors usually keep in mind general guidelines. This is because, for the most part, skill matters far more than the car itself. For one thing, the vehicle must align with the rules. If it doesn’t meet the specifications, it should be modified to make it so.

Going along with this, a vehicle should be easy to modify. Demolition derbies typically have extra requirements designed for driver safety, even if the car would meet the specifications otherwise. Many competitors also choose cheaper vehicles, using most of their money on modifications.

The first event and its founder

The first demolition derby is up for debate and not currently known. According to the Demolition Derby League, the term was used widely by the 1950s, indicating they started sometime before that. So far, the earliest recorded event took place in 1946, which Don Basile started. However, some argue that the rules were too different to be officially recognized, as it was a race with cars modified to be destroyed on impact. Some have suggested that demolition derbies were around as early as the Great Depression, but unfortunately, information is limited. 

Other than this, Larry Mendelsohn is generally considered the founder of demolition derbies. In the latter half of the 1950s, he held one in Long Island, New York. According to the National Automotive Parts Association (NAPA) blog, this is when demolition derbies became a trendy “fixture at county fairs and race tracks across the country.”

History of demolition derbies up to the present day

A few decades later, the events continued gaining popularity, meaning that documentation was no longer an issue. ABC’s Wide World of Sports would put demolition derbies on the air in the 70s, and as the decade progressed, they were well-known across the nation. They were at their peak in the 70s and 80s, with many derbies taking place worldwide. Outside of the U.S., Canada, Australia, and other countries began to hold similar events. Some even had up to 100 drivers all competing against each other at the same time. They began to decline in the 90s, however.

While demolition derbies are still around, they’re much less popular than they were in their heyday. According to National Public Radio (NPR), increasing scrap metal prices, more expensive builds, and the time-consuming nature of modifying vehicles are all to blame for the decreased participation. As competitors are less willing to participate, many have had to shut down altogether.

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