Helmet Age vs Costs of New Helmets

I thought I already posted this, but can't find it. I may have posted this in the forum section for the BoD when I was on the board, but now can't access it.

I have a concern that the 5 year age from manufacture date limit on helmets is too short. While I recognize that helmet materials harden with age meaning they don't protect as well, it is yet another expense in this sport and could be adjusted to save competitors some money.

The issue with this is that, when you buy a helmet online or from Cycle Gear, you have no control over when that particular helmet was manufactured. The date of manufacture could be 2 years old already, meaning the helmet only has a 3-year life span for CMRA competition. It's not impossible that you could buy a helmet already at the age limit if it has been sitting on a shelf for years. I've also seen riders using helmets which are not SNELL approved on track, so we aren't checking these thoroughly enough in the first place.

I recommend increasing the helmet age to 7 years. This would allow for a 5 year life assuming the helmet is already 2 years old. This, to me, seems more reasonable.

And go easy on me, I bruise easily.

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Originally Posted by Rab McNaught

I thought I already posted this, but can't find it. I may have posted this in the forum section for the BoD when I was on the board, but now can't access it.

I have a concern that the 5 year age from manufacture date limit on helmets is too short. While I recognize that helmet materials harden with age meaning they don't protect as well, it is yet another expense in this sport and could be adjusted to save competitors some money.

The issue with this is that, when you buy a helmet online or from Cycle Gear, you have no control over when that particular helmet was manufactured. The date of manufacture could be 2 years old already, meaning the helmet only has a 3-year life span for CMRA competition. It's not impossible that you could buy a helmet already at the age limit if it has been sitting on a shelf for years. I've also seen riders using helmets which are not SNELL approved on track, so we aren't checking these thoroughly enough in the first place.

I recommend increasing the helmet age to 7 years. This would allow for a 5 year life assuming the helmet is already 2 years old. This, to me, seems more reasonable.

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There is no denying that a helmets is certainly one of the most expensive investments in racing. Because of that expense it’s inevitable that the helmet age limits are brought up every few years.

Helmet manufacturers recommend that helmets be replaced 3-5 years from date of manufacture. Some have argued that the manufacturers do this to sell more helmets. The truth is that the materials in the helmet degrade over time. Based on the recommendations of the manufacturers and independent testers racing organizations around the world have adopted the 5 year limit as an industry standard. We believe that following the recommendations of the helmet manufacturers is in the best interest of our license holders.

Purchasing a helmet online is a roll of the dice. I’ve personally had good results going through a local shop. They can work with sales reps to get more current helmets.

Okay


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