MSA regulationS for helmets

The MSA Sporting Regulations state the following with regard to helmets used in motorsport….

All drivers must wear a helmet with efficient and unbreakable protection for the eyes.  All helmets must comply with the DOT, SNELL, ECE or CMR specifications approved for the following categories of motorsport, Cars, Motorcycle and Karts.  All helmets must have chin protection (full-face helmet).  It is highly recommended that drivers of the age 15 and younger use CMR specification helmets (although compulsory in Europe and the rest of the World).

NOTE: The use of helmets 10 years after their date of manufacture is not permitted.  All labels and markings indicating specifications and date of manufacture must be clearly visible.  Event officials may request a competitor to provide proof that the helmet does comply with requirements as set out in this regulation.

Drivers must always secure all loose straps or flaps around the helmet base and neck area, including neck brace and overall straps.  If doubt exists with officials as to whether a helmet strap is fastened correctly, then the competitor will receive a black & orange flag.  Once the competitor has secured the helmet and /or loose straps then he/she will be allowed to return to the circuit.

Differences between the specification

In an accident, the driver’s head can come into contact with many different objects and to a large extent these are determined by the type of vehicle being ridden.  To account for these widely differing variables, a number of different specifications have been drawn up over the years and are now used to rate helmets.

DOT.  The United States Department of Transportation (DOT), sets the minimum standard for testing before a helmet can be sold with the DOT label attached.  Unfortunately, this standard hasn’t had a significant overhaul since 1972, and it is also an honour based system i.e. the helmet manufacturer self-certifies their product and this is open to abuse.

ECE.  The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) is Europe's standard of testing to qualify a motorcycle or scooter helmet as safe for street use, and for this reason it won’t be discussed further.

SNELL.  To sell a SNELL certified helmet, manufacturers need to apply for testing, and then have their helmets approved by the SNELL Foundation before they can obtain certification and sell them with this rating.  It is by far the most widely used certification for karting helmets in South Africa.

CMR.  This is a subcategory of SNELL and is specifically intended to limit the weight of the helmet in order to reduce the rotational mass in the event of an accident.  They are thus ideally suited for use by junior (under 16 years of age) competitors..

Certification labels

Apart from any manufacturer’s label that would inter-alia indicate the date of manufacture of the helmet (remember you cannot legally use a helmet that is older than 10 years), there will also be a certification label that can be found inside the helmet (more on that later).  This labelling displays the specification to which a number of samples of the helmet have been tested and found to comply with.  Simply because your current helmet has such a label affixed doesn’t mean that it is legal.  As an example, let’s look at the SNELL labelling bearing in mind that SNELL certify helmets for use in a number of categories.  The examples shown below all bear the SNELL name so you need to look carefully at the letters that precede the year of the certification.

The CIK-FIA has recognized a number of these standards for use in karting, but be aware that some of the certifications have limited lifespans so you’d be well advised to check what you have before you get caught with an illegal helmet.  The latest list of recognised certifications from the CIK-FIA published in August 2023 is shown below and also repeated in tabular form.

Looking at the above one can see that there are some certifications that commence with a SA designation and others with a K designation.  The SA standard was designed for competitive auto racing and requires a flammability test whilst this isn’t a requirement for the K standard.  The CMR and CMS helmets are designed for the younger competitors and are significantly lighter than an equivalent adult sized helmet.

Construction and label locations

Helmet shells are typically made of fibreglass, a number of composites, or carbon fibre with the latter being the lightest but also the most expensive.  Located inside the shell is an expanded polystyrene (EPS) liner, and finally a cloth comfort liner that is in contact with the driver’s head.  There’s a famous saying that “it’s not the fall that kills you, but the sudden stop at the end”.  If one can increase the time taken to bring an object to rest from the moment of impact, then the force imparted onto the object is greatly reduced.  That’s why cars have foam bumpers, crumple zones and air bags and also why crash helmets have an EPS liner.

EPS accomplishes that energy reduction by collapsing during the impact, converting some of the energy into heat and slowing the transmission of energy onto one’s head.  Once the expanded polystyrene collapses it doesn’t regain its shape (or ability to absorb energy) and hence it is strictly suited to single impacts and that is why helmets with EPS liners should be replaced after a crash.  Poking the EPS liner with one’s fingers to make it more “comfortable” or simply because one is bored, is therefore totally discouraged.  Don’t fool around with your safety – you’ve only got one head so use it wisely

The certification labels are often tucked underneath the padding and some examples are shown below for various makes of helmets.  The date of manufacture may also be found there and is usually on a separate label.  In some cases, the date of manufacture is stamped onto one of the double-D rings.

Getting the correct fit

The purchase of a helmet can easily cost you upwards of R10k in the adult sizes, and so it’s also pretty essential that your helmet fits you well and doesn’t flop all over the place when you are laying out that sort of cash.  To allow you to zone in on the correct size, you need to measure your head with a tape measure (preferably a cloth type) as follows. 

Then of course it’s a case trying it on for comfort as follows.

·      Hold the chin straps so that the bottom of the helmet is facing you with the front pointing downwards.

·      Put your thumbs on the inside of the straps, balancing the helmet with your fingertips.

·      Spread the sides of the helmet slightly apart and slip it down over your head using the chin straps.

If the helmet slips onto your head with no resistance it’s probably too large.  If it feels snug whilst being pulled on then it’s probably the correct size bearing in mind that the padding tends to soften up after extended use.  Now check for any excess horizontal and vertical movement by grabbing the helmet with your hands on either side, and whilst holding your head steady, gently rotate the helmet from left to right and then from front to back.  During this test if the skin on your brow moves with the helmet as it is rotated, then the fit is good.  Conversely, if the skin doesn’t move when the helmet is rotated, or you can pull the helmet down in front of your eyes, then the fit is too loose.

Then you’d want to fasten the chin strap (discussed later) and attempt to remove the helmet from your head.  Grip the helmet firmly and make a serious effort to roll it off your head in both the forward and backward directions.  If you are able to remove the helmet or you can roll it backwards far enough to expose your forehead or forwards far enough to block your vision, then the helmet either fits too loosely or the strap isn’t properly tightened.

The chin strap

The SNELL requirements for the chin strap release mechanism are not all that proscriptive other than to state that the mechanism must be reasonably accessible and effective in case of emergencies.  If double D-rings are used, then a short flexible pull tab is fixed to the bottom edge of the inside D-ring element as this allows quick removal when used correctly.

The sequence of pictures below show the correct method to tighten a chin strap fitted with a double D-ring.  Firstly pass the free end of the chin strap through both of the D-rings.  Then loop the free end back through the lower of the two D-rings.  Pull the free end of the strap until it is snug against the underside of your chin (helmet shouldn’t be able to be rotated forward or backwards).  Lastly, to stop the free end flapping around in the breeze, clip it out of the way onto the snap button provided.

Final word on helmets

Remember that helmets are constructed so as to absorb the energy of an impact.  It therefore stands to reason that should it suffer an impact, the helmet is damaged or in some way compromised.  Even if such damage is not readily apparent it must therefore be replaced.  If you wish to clean your helmet, never use solvents as they could react adversely with the helmet material i.e. only use soap and water.  Lastly, in order to keep them in pristine condition, helmets should be stored in a helmet bag in a cool dry place away from sunlight when not in use.

 
Emile McGregor - MSA Technical Consultant

You can find a full range of the very latest ARAI, SPARCO and HedTec helmets approved Internationally by the FIA for youngsters and adults for both Karting and Main Circuit Racing in the ANGRiRacing showroom HERE