Helmets - When To Replace?

Hello and welcome to Alex's Blog! This week I would like to talk about motorcycle helmets and more importantly their life span and when and in what circumstances they should be replaced.

A new survey run by motorcycle insurer Carole Nash has found that 62 per cent of motorcyclists would only buy a new helmet if they had been involved in an accident and that 63 per cent said that would continue to use their helmet after dropping it. Furthermore, this also found that 41% of UK bikers are wearing helmets that have been in use for five years or more.

So this got me thinking about what our customers thought about this and also what manufacturers recommend.

Most helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every 5 years. This is a perfect helmet that hasn't been dropped or damaged. A helmet that is dropped or damaged should be replaced immediately. It can look fine but the damage that has been done can be internal.

Arai, one of the most respected and premium helmet brands state:

"Arai helmets are handmade to the highest possible standard, and although after many years the outside shell can look as good as new, it's the EPS polystyrene liner that loses it's ability to absorb impact over time.

Arai recommend replacing your helmet 7 years after date of manufacture and 5 years after date of purchase to maintain the maximum levels of protection.

The EPS liner is effectively the shock absorber of your helmet, absorbing the force of an impact on to the shell. This is done by the cells in the Polystyrene being expanded (EPS = Expanded Polystyrene) and filled with air to absorb impacts. Over time, even when not in use, these liners lose their air pockets incrementally, after 7 years, dropping the shock absorbing ability of the liner below Arai's safety standards. This is why we declare the helmet due for replacement so it can properly protect you against impacts."

So there you have it. A real scientific explanation as to why you should replace your helmet after 5 years!

As someone who has worked in the motorcycle industry for over a decade I will say that your helmet is very important as it protects your most important body part. I also have some tips for you:

1. Never buy a second hand helmet. Always buy a brand new helmet. This is not a sales ploy from us at J&S - this is a real safety tip. You do not know what has happened to a second hand helmet and it isn't always apparent on the outside if there is damage so beware!
2. Every helmet worn by a rider on UK roads (and European roads for that matter) has to pass a safety standard. ECE Regulation 22.05. Your helmet should have this stamped at the back.  (ACU Gold is another matter entirely - this just applies to helmets suitable for track days, this is not a safety standard for UK roads)
3. Take care of your helmet. Store you helmet safely, don't rest your helmet on your seat (as it is more likely to fall) and keep it clean and fresh with something like one of these helmet care kits
4. Replace your helmet every 5 years OR after an impact or drop. You can't argue with Arai's technical explanation and you only get one head!

If you follow these tips you can't go wrong.  I would be very interested to know your views on this so any tweets or Facebook comments on this post would be great! Thanks very much!

Until next week!

Alex