Quote:
Originally Posted by dkmura
SA-rated helmets must pass multiple impact tests that M-rated helmets do not. Snell ratings are based on their use, and Special Application (SA) helmets are typically used for auto racing. In the event of a major car crash (vs. a bike crash) there's a higher chance of multiple impacts (ie. rollovers) in which the helmet needs to protect the head repeatedly. The M-rated helmet is rated to take one major impact only. As you mention, a fire resistant interior is part of that rating, but if you ever need THAT, you're in bad shape already! Passing those tests adds up to a more expensive helmet!
|
I hate to call ya out but I have first hand experience of multiple impacts on a M rated helmet... Motorcycle riders who highside often have 4+ impacts to the skull as we are tumbling through the air slaming are head and limbs against the pavement at speeds excessive of 80mph. Not only that but the distance our heads travel are far greater than that of an individual in a car. I have highsided about a half dozen times and every time I had several impacts to the skull. This is why I pay for a $700 helmet from Shoei.