DOT certification standards

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Oct 16, 2013 | 08:22 AM

rob0225

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From: Columbus, GA

DOT certification standards

Apologize, I don't have time to search and looking for a quick turnaround to challenge something that came up while I was coming through the gate on post today.

Are there any guidelines that state how thick the foam in a DOT helmet should be or even point me toward the requirements for a DOT helmet?

Thanks

Oct 16, 2013 | 08:42 AM

fdb2007

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From: n

about an inch http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/p...ages/page2.htm the standard is 218 under CFR 37 Part 571

Last edited by fdb2007; Oct 16, 2013 at 08:51 AM.

Oct 16, 2013 | 09:45 AM

skratch

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From: anacoco, la

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob0225

if the gate guard challenged your helmet, you really don't have anything to stand on, unless, you're helmet is mfg and stamped dot. if that's the case, then he has no 'authority' to challenge the dot. dot is dot. if it's manufactured and sold as dot, then if/until the gov. makes the company prove the dot certi, then its good.

if however, you are wearing a novelty helmet with a fake dot sticker, then yeah, whether or not the helmet quality supersedes one that is mfg dot, it is not.

Oct 16, 2013 | 09:48 AM

fat_tony

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From: Potsdam, NY

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob0225

It comes down to impact absorption and how the helmet functions as a protective device and not foam thickness.

http://ultimatemotorcycling.com/moto...e-22-05-snell/

DOT labeling as of May this year has to look like this if it is a removable sticker or DOT has to be etched into the helmet. Notice it includes the DOT revision #218 the helmet adheres to as well as the label includes the helmet make and model. These new standards are to close loop holes and eliminate fake DOT stickers. Buying a new helmet without this label means it is either very, very old stock as most manufactures started making helmets with these labels three years ago, or it is not a legal DOT lid.

Last edited by fat_tony; Oct 16, 2013 at 11:56 AM.

Oct 16, 2013 | 10:34 AM

Sling Blade 14

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From: Puget Sound, WA.

Some more info...

http://silodrome.com/snell-vs-dot-vs...rds-throwdown/

Quote:

DOT – An acronym for Department of Transport, DOT is the is US government approved standard and, in the United States, is the most popular. DOT standards are aimed at protecting skulls from 90% of impact types ( low to moderate energy impacts according to the HURT Report) and favours a more shock-absorbent helmet. The maximum G-force allowed by the DOT test is 250g’s, an impact of 200 to 250 g’s to the head would result in a severe, though probably survivable brain injury (the DOT anvil is either flat or “kerb shaped” depending on the test). The DOT’s favouritism towards more shock-absorbent helmets seems to fall inline with recent studies indicating that absorbing the force of an impact is more important than resisting the impact.

Oct 16, 2013 | 08:21 PM

rob0225

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From: Columbus, GA

Thanks guys. I'm at Ft. Benning and they have been checking motorcycle safety gear lately and to some degree it's getting quite annoying everyday, especially when they don't know what to look for. I do wear a DOT helmet (Outlaw) and have the imprint on my helmet.

Anyway, coming on the post today and handed my ID and he asked me to "look up". I asked why and he said he was checking if my helmet met the requirements. I pointed to my DOT imprint and he said "that doesn't matter, the helmet has to be at least 1 inch thick". That's when I told him, he is wrong and doesn't know the DOT criteria and that it has nothing to do with liner thickness.

So I submitted an ICE complain today to the military police and pointed out the incorrect criteria they are checking and pointed them to the DOT standards and if they somehow deem thickness is a measure of the criteria how is someone is able to determine the correct thickness with just a cursory visual examination.

Will see how they reply.

Oct 18, 2013 | 03:56 AM

fat_tony

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From: Potsdam, NY

As a rough check the one inch thick rule works because you need at least that much special impact absorbing foam to attain the impact absorbing requirements of DOT. A helmet with much less or the liner material direct against the shell is guaranteed to be a hat and not a helmet. DOT stickers can be purchased off of Ebay which is why the new DOT labeling standard I posted about above.