Advice needed on choosing a helmet.

[Tim Zimmerman]

The only helmet I've ever owned is a motorcycle helmet. Can anyone give a first time helmet buyer any advice. I intend to be involved autocross as well as a future Viper Days events. What do I need? Where do I get one? And what should I plan to spend? Is there any other safty equiptment required?(I already have the 5-point hasness)

 

[Joseph Houss]

Helmetcity.com offers a 10% discount for VCA members.

Full face SA2000 rating

Bell Sport II - $270 (with discount) .. least expensive and does the job...available in white and black

Others, a bit more.

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Hi Tim, I always buy for myself and suggest to others to buy the best safety equipment possible. We are all cost conscious, so once you define the best product for you then look for the best price. Helmet City in Oakland CA offers a 10% discount to VCA members. Helmet city is a mail order business, their Web address can be found on the N.CA Web site. A HANS device is the next item to consider when you go to open track events. Have a fire (Halon is nice) suppression system extinguisher or full system. External kill switch (such as Autoform offers). Roll cage or Hoop.

I suggest a full face light weight helmet for the following:
1. Provides the best physical protection Chin/Jaw impact protection (Dale E. could have benefited from a full face helmet)
2. If you chose to take open wheel driving schools a full face helmet is required
3. If you go Karting a full face helmet is required. (a indoor kart track opened in the Bay Area and several N.CA VCA go there every week)
4. Face protection from air born debris should you spin off track.
5. Some Face Fire protection
6. A light weight helmet reduces the head-helmet mass reducing neck stress.

Hope this helps.

 

[Steve Ferguson]

Shoe and Arai also make great helmets. Plan on spending 250-900. Go with a lighter material such Kevlar, it will reduce the pressure on your shoulders, which you will experience when driving half hour and more sessions.

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Great advice from everyone. I would add that you invest in a neck collar to help with the fatigue factor. Spend as much as you can possibly afford. Isn't it amazing that most of are quick to spend money on mods for our Snakes, but try to cut costs of a helmet?

FYI, I heard that Shoei is getting out of the automotive racing helmets, so they don't have SA2000 helmets. I would also recommend that you check out Bell helmets (I ordered an M2 Pro kevlar helmet that has a wider and taller eyeport.. because I wear glasses). I also know that many in the VCA used Simpson helmets.

Concentrate more on fit than looks. Try as many helmets as you can on your melon. Make sure the fit is pretty tight (because the foam will compress and loosen the fit) without having any hotspots.

Good luck.

Brad <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steve Ferguson:
Shoe and Arai also make great helmets. Plan on spending 250-900. Go with a lighter material such Kevlar, it will reduce the pressure on your shoulders, which you will experience when driving half hour and more sessions.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[Tom and Vipers]

What a hoot! Do you value your head? (duh) Well... do you value your neck?

The only helmet specification that indicates what it will do to your neck in a crash is its mass and CG.

I think it is very interesting that this critical information is not available from manufacturers. Further, SNELL does not include this in their criteria. My bet is that admission of this would lead to liability suits regarding neck injuries.

I wonder what the criteria is for attributing a broken neck to helmet moment? I'll bet there isn't one. If a racer gets a broken neck and his head is OK, I'll bet helmet effectiveness is judged satisfactory ....

At any rate, I need to buy a helmet and I want one that will produce the lowest neck moment. Fat chance I will be able to.