Snell SA2010 Rating?

It's that time again! The latest Snell rating is right around the corner, which means that everyone is lining up to purchase a helmet to use for the next 10 years. We've started getting many inquiries from customers regarding when these helmets will actually be for sale. Kyle Kietzmann of Bell Motorsports lays out the details, along with some advice for your future helmet purchase:

For the Snell SA or Special Applications standard, the first Snell SA 2010 certified helmets will not be available for sale from any manufacturer until October 1, 2010. This is the official release date for the latest Snell standard. Between now and October 1, 2010, Bell Racing will continue to sell Snell SA2005 certified helmets.

Retail customers may start to question the necessity of buying a Snell SA2005 helmet and decide to postpone purchasing a new helmet until the Snell SA2010 standard is released. It is important to remind customers of the necessity of having adequate head protection and the need to replace helmets that have been damaged or have exceeded their useful life expectancy regardless of the next Snell transition date.

When the next Snell SA standard is released, sanctioning bodies will require Snell SA2005 or above. In reality, a customer that buys a Snell SA2005 helmet between now and October 1, 2010 will be able to use that helmet for at least another 5 years. Bell recommends replacing helmets that have been exposed to normal wear and not subjected to an accident after a 5 year period.

Many may think that Bell is purposely attempting to persuade customers into NOT waiting for the 2010 release date in order to prevent a complete and total collapse of helmet sales for 2010. I, too, agree with Bell regarding the true lifespan of a helmet - and no, not because we stand to lose sales as well!

Example - The other day, I installed Hans Anchors in a helmet with an early SA2000 rating. I'm not kidding when I say this thing has legs! Thankfully, we have latex gloves on hand for such occasions. But in all seriousness people, when the helmet is that old and grimy, the performance benefits are very questionable. Dirt, oils (from your head) and grime slowly break down the foams/plastics that your helmet is built from. Unfortunately, there is no east test for determining the safety of your helmet.

So if you need a new helmet - just get a new helmet. There is no point in sacrificing your safety under the chance that a 10 year old helmet MIGHT do it's job when needed!