im a helmet noob. help me out here.

[d r i f t swift]

ok i tried searching but didnt really find the answers i was looking for. i want to drive in the us drift event on the 23rd but i dont have a helmet. the requirement says "snell 90 or better" i have a couple questions.. so would an "m95" or an "m90" helmet meet that requirement? or is that rating completely different from the snell rating?

[HaLo]

yes it would...
but i would get a 2000 because 95s are expiring this year.

[MakotoS13]

i'd like to see more info on the whole helmet topic. can we use motorcycle helmets? ever?

[sil4ty]

as long as its snell 90+.. like halo said, get a snell2000 b/c they all "expire" and you save yourself from having to buy another helmet sooner. u can pick up a snell2000 for about $90 on ebay. a must if u autox since loner helmets SUCK.

[Ian]

wait so helmets have expiration dates?...that's weird

[AKADriver]

If they just say "Snell 90/95/2000" then assume it to mean M90/M95/M2000. Get an M2000... 95s are going to be worthless for sanctioned events when the 05s come out.

You generally only need an SA-rated helmet for high speed open track events or racing. Autocross speeds are too low to require one, and drifting sanctioning bodies are just too lax on safety.

The primary difference between the two is fire resistance. Obviously fire isn't a big concern on a motorcycle.

[AKADriver]

wait so helmets have expiration dates?...that's weird

It's not so much "expiration" as obsolescence. As the technology improves, Snell (the organization most recognized in the US for helmet safety standards) comes out with a new set of tighter standards every 5 years. Most auto racing sanctioning bodies consider a helmet that's more than one standard out of date (over 10 years old, as it works out) just too old.

[Ian]

ohh ok i see, so if i bought a new model now it'd be cool till 2014 or so

[HaLo]

a helmet is usually good for 10 years.

so a Snell (A or M)2000 will be good till 2010.

A Snell (A or M)2005 will be good till 2015.

[d r i f t swift]

sweet.. soo what exactly is the snell rating? is that just the number? 90,95,2000? correct? so lets just say if an event requires a snell 2000 or better then id be able to use m2000 or sa2000 right? sorry for all the questions haha im just tryin to learn here

[AKADriver]

SA95/2000 and M95/2000 are two different sets of standards. SA is intended for auto racing, M is intended for motorcycling. However the standards are very similar, and M-rated helmets are allowed in forms of auto racing where the risk of getting trapped in a fire is low, such as autocrossing or lower-speed drifting.

[wootwoot]

open face helmets are completly out of the question arent they?

[holisticbeatz]

Open face helmets are fine as long as they meet the Snell requirements. Bell makes nice open face helmets, just watch the WRC on the Speed Channel and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Personally, I prefer an open-face helmet. Makes breathing so much easier.. Plus if you need to talk, you won't sound all muffled.

[wootwoot]

^^^ exactly why i asked. i feel so closed in with a full face helmet, it straight up gets to me. i knew about the wrc but i wasnt sure if they had seperate requirements. thanks!

[Andrew Bohan]

M and SA helmets are also designed for different types of crashes. when you crash a motorcycle, you could very well bounce all over the ground multiple times and/or slide. when you crash a car, you hit something once and smash your head really hard into something really close by (steering wheel, roll cage)

[the head]

the primary difference is the flame retardency of the lining and padding the shells are essentially the same

[d r i f t swift]

so does anyone have any expierence with an open faced? another thing im concerned about is the visor on an open faced helmet do those things even block sun? or would i just have to wear sun glasses and look like a chp?

[thx247]

I would always suggest going with a helmet and a visor. Even at an AutoX, getting something in your face when your driving just sucks.

For the track is a no brainer- dirt, rocks and dust can all impede your vision, and your generally moving at much higher speeds.

For the sun, you can always wear sunglasses under the visor, or use a tinted visor.

Edit: I forgot to add, if you are just planning on doing Auto X then I would just get a cheap $100 M2000 helmet. Most likely you will be able to take it to the track if you decide to go, and its really nice to have a beater helmet around that you can take karting or to auto x and not have to worry about it.

Get a SA2000 or 05 helmet if you goto the track often or a place that requires SA helmets.

[holisticbeatz]

Yea.. that'll work.. half-face visor should do the trick. The only nice thing about a fully enclosed helmet is the "protection" from the dirt and rocks that should fly into your car when you get off track.

[Drunk Bastard]

just go out and get a new ICON helmet. they have all the latest snell/dot approving and are comortable and CHEAP!!!!

[MikeDeuce]

For parking lot/paddock/autox style events in CA or other warm climate areas, I would highly recommend an open face helmet. Especially for events like the US drift one... You will be waiting in line more than you are actually driving, the speeds are relatively low, and it's not as much of a safety risk as on-track events, imho. Just have some sunglasses if you're worried about getting crap in your eyes.

Wish I had an open face...

[nightwalker]

most of you don't think about this, but I know you all have heard "how much is your head worth?"

Save some money up and buy a nice helmet from a reputable manufacturer.

It's silly to spend thousands on your car, and then skimp on safety for yourself.

[atom]

But why do you correlate price with safety? If a helmet is SA2000 approved, it doesn't matter if it costs $200 or $1000. Above and beyond that theres no way you can say a more expensive helmet will necessarily protect you better. Most of the time you're paying for things like design and weight than anything else.

[AKADriver]

Light weight is a safety feature, though. Remember what happens in a crash. Do you want the weight of a lead helmet putting stress on your neck?

[atom]

I guess it's a good thing nobody makes a lead helmet then. :)

I'm no physics expert, but the weight difference between a modern low-mid end fiberglass helmet and a top of the line full kevlar helmet is well under a pound. Since nobody here competes in nascar, how much of a difference can that make really in speeds we're most likely to see?

EDIT: And another thing to think about is this: A lighter helmet generally becomes lighter by a combination of using less material/different, more advanced material. So it is entirely possible that a lighter helmet can also be less "safe" structurally. So whats better, a light helmet that barely passes SA standards or a heavier helmet that passes the standards by a larger margin? Since theres no way to tell really, I say as long as the helmet passes the proper standards and is comfortable I'm not gonna worry about the rest.

[AKADriver]

I'm just posing thought provoking questions. ;) I have a <$300 Bell M2 (full face, SA2000). I'm happy with it, even though it is on the heavy side.

[thx247]

Its not that hard to figure it out....whatever the force of impact is multiply that by the weight of your head.

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

has anyone used a m2000 helmet for speed trial usa because they say your not allowed to use a motorcycle helmet.