Safety Rules Proposed for Motorcycle Helmets
Professional Safety, Nov 2008
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY
New rules proposed by the Department of Transportation (DOT) would make it easier for motorcycle riders to identify and use effective helmets, instead of unsafe novelty helmets. The rules would also make it harder for riders to use novelty helmets in states that require DOTcertified helmets. Recent data indicate that nearly one in five motorcycle riders in states with helmet laws wear a noncompliant helmet.
The proposal would require manufacturers to place a larger, tamper-proof DOT label on the back of certified helmets. This would make it harder for vendors to remove the labels on safe helmets and affix them to the unsafe novelty helmets. The proposed rule would also strengthen the tests helmets must go through to receive DOT certification, including updated tests on how the helmets hold up during impact, whether objects can penetrate the helmet and how well the helmet stays in place during a crash.
According to DOT, the proposed rule would help mitigate the yearly increases in motorcycle fatalities, which have more than doubled since 1997