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Australian Standards on helmets
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
I hope somebody can advise me on this.
I use a Met Kaos helmet bought from Wiggle for mountain bike riding (excellent helmet btw). Anyway, although the helmet is sold in Australia and complies to australian standards my helmet doesn't have the sticker, as it was bought in the UK. Does anybody know how/if I can get an australian standards approved sticker being it's the same helmet sold in our shops?
cheers
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I know of no legal way to get a AS/NZS 2063:2008 sticker. Unless damaged, the life time of a helmet is suggested to be 3 to 5 yeats. I suppose your old helmet is past its use by date? The interesting point is that on the Aus standards sticker in helmets only "AS/NZS 2063" appears, not the 1996 or 2008!?
If bought after 30 June 2011 then you may have a problem. This quote from http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.ph...
"From 13 December 2010 to 30 June 2011 suppliers may continue to supply bicycle helmets which comply with the 1996 version of AS/NZS 2063 or the Snell standard provided those helmets also meet the following requirements. - - -"
The AS/NZS 2063:1996 version allowed the Snell Standards 1995, so if you have this label in the helmet and bought before 30 June last year you may be ok.
"It is important to note that any bicycle helmet supplied after 30 June 2011 must comply with AS/NZS 2063:2008 (as varied)." i believe this standard precludes any other standard.
Another laughable(!) aspect is this quote from http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.ph... "The straps which hold a helmet on a cyclist’s head must stretch sufficiently to let the helmet come off in an accident" ??? Hopefully the word 'not' has been omitted.
and as a last point the MET website, like many others, makes this point:
"MET bicycle helmets are tested and certified according to different standards and procedures depending on which country in the world they will be sold in. Example: A MET helmet sold in Finland does carry the CE certification label applicable in Europe. It does not carry any other certification label such as the australian QAS, the japanese JIS, the north-american CPSC which means it would be illegal to sell it to Australia, North America, Japan, and more generally outside Europe. The opposite is true too. A MET helmets sold in Australia only carries the QAS certification label applicable in Australia, etc. Most consumers are not aware of this issue and can, when purchasing online, found themselves with a helmet that is actually illegal to use where they live."
FWIW.
cheers for the detailed response.
After I had an OTB stack and cracked my old helmet so was bought before 30 June 2011.
The crazy part about local standards is every country is having to run probably similar safety checks and this costs money. However I'm sure the manufacturers do not alter the helmets for local markets and it's the same helmet shipped worldwide. Why not have a worldwide standard that countries can choose to opt in to?
The helmet does comply with European standards and has stickers. Does anybody know of a bi-lateral arrangement whereby european standards can be accepted in Australia?
So what sticker did your old helmet have in it? My understanding is that whilst the impact type testing may be similar, the selection of helmets to test isn't. Australian standards require a random selection from each batch of helmets, to supposedly ensure that there are no changes between batches. From what you write it looks like your new one doesn't have a Snell sticker either.
My old helmet, made in 2005, has a silver AS/NZS 2063 sticker in it, my two new ones has the the same sticker but in white. Pity yours doesn't have the silver one as this would appear to indicate a AS/NZS 2063:1996 standard which was legal if you bought it before 30 June 2011.
the Veleno D(double density) & the Veleno Sim(single density) only 1 is sold in Aus. can you guess which?
Why do you actually want the AS sticker? Racing?
TBH I am totally fine doing recreational stuff with a helmet that is tested with a euro standard. Maybe there is some compliance minutiae I should be concerned about, but I couldn't be bothered spending the time worrying about it.
I bought an AS helmet for races. Just on the off chance that some sort of scrutineering occurs, but I have yet to see anything like that. For $200 I thought it was a better option than trying to convince someone of international standard equivalency. It also colour co-ordinates with my roadie, which I believe is somewhat important....
It's actually quite handy having two helmets. One dirty, stinking one for mtb and general commuting and a 'good' one for special occasions.
I'm riding the Mont again this year and remember at last years race they informed us that this year European standards were not allowed. I seem to remember something about all races in Canberra from 2012 require AS only certified helmets?
I hear you though about the two helmets. My road helmet is very old so probably easier for me to just buy a new roadie helmet and use that for races which are super strict on helmets.
cheers everyone
In terms of "is this thing going to protect your noodle" then having a non AS approved helmet that is a known brand and approved by other respected authorities is going to be fine even if it is technically not a legal helmet. Therefore the main reason that you want the sticker is for racing and there are races that do check. At The Mont you have to declare your helmet and they put a sticker on the outside and do pull people up at transition if they don't have this sticker. Last year they were saying that this will be the case at all MTBA events in the ACT and eventually everywhere. Not sure if this has been the case or not so far.
That's one reason that I have always purchased my helmet from a LBS. The other is the fact that it's nice to try on the latest helmet models and make sure that they fit perfectly before buying. Shoes are the other thing that I always try on and purchase from a LBS as there's few things worse that long rides with crappy fitting shoes!
browny, "special occasions" - I like that. I can't help but see someone in their black tie finest wearing their shiny special occasion helmet!
The risk you take with non-AS helmets in general use is that if the worst happens and your family is having to deal with insurance companies because you're brain-injured, they *will* look at your helmet to see if it has an AS sticker.
If it doesn't, they'll be in like a shot arguing contributory negligence. "Ah, well, it wasn't Australian Standards approved you see,
... so we're going to halve your payout."
This is regardless of whether the helmet was identical in every respect to the one bought locally with the AS sticker applied. While you're being helped to breathe by a machine and eating though a tube, are your family's lawyers going to know to argue there was no difference except for the sticker? And even if they do succeed in running the argument, court proceeedings are often not much different to a lottery anyway so why put them through the stress?
Fair enough that you're prepared to roll the dice as far as yourself is concerned... but what about them?
Interesting that you can buy a helmet with AS sticker for $12 from Aldi and helmets that are used in major international races certified to international standards but no AS sticker are not suitable?
For the Mont, it will be an insurance issue on their cover.
You can save the extra money elsewhere. There's no point in trying to convince people it's the same helmet and only a sticker.
hawkeye, am I under any obligation to wear any sort of a helmet when not on a public road?
TBH if I ended up in the scenario you speak of I think there would be a list of 'non compliances' as long as my arm. Eg when was the last time you saw a roadie with reflectors and a bell.
Hypothetically they could probably argue all sorts of things to try and weasel out of paying, but in the real world do they actually do it?
True in part.
There was apparently a death involving a roadie at closed-circuit event in the ACT. The ACT Coronor found the non-AS compliant helmet was a contributing factor. How much science and objectivity was invested in coming to that conclusion I have no idea, expert witnesses being what they are (ie, opinions for hire), but we were told at the event that we should expect the requirement to enforce AS2063 helmet use at organised events to become law in ACT by this year's event.
So now it has come up on the radar screens of risk managers as an issue. You could get lucky and the insurer might not think to check. The level of scrutiny will depend on the size of the compensation claim being sought. The bigger the claim (in other words, the more you need it) the more closely they're going to look for ways to dud you.
If the trail is accessible by vehicles from public roads then there is a requirement to follow all the rules when driving a vehicle. This includes bicycles and their riders. So if you're riding singletrack or are on enclosed private land then maybe there's no legal obligation to ride with a helmet but given the higher risk involved on singletrack I think your chances of getting a challenge on the basis of contributory negligence might even be higher.
Any other non-compliances will only come into play if they are relevant to the circumstances of the claim (eg, you hit a pedestrian or it happened while riding at night on the road).
So while the chances might be quite small, the consequences can be very big. You pays your money and makes your choices.
... which includes having appropriate insurance cover 
From the 2012 Mont 24 website
http://mont24.com.au/race/?IntCatId=3&IntContId=...
For this year's Mont it will be sufficient (as per our rules) to comply with MTBA guidelines regarding helmets (below), however in 2012 it may be a legal requirement to have AS standard sticker on your helmet while competing.
David White, Race Director
HELMET STANDARDS - MTBA
Helmet compliance is as noted in the policy on helmet standards compliance acceptance issued by MTBA from time to time. At the time of printing the list is:
■AS/NZ 2063
■ANSI Z90.4;
■Snell 'B' or 'N' series;
■ASTM F-1447.
■Canadian CAN/CSA-D113.2-M;
■U.S. CPSC standard for bicycle helmets;
■European CEN standard for bicycle helmets (EN1078)
Other international standards may be added from time to time. Compliance is indicated by the helmet having a sticker with one of the above standard notations attached to the helmet. Helmets that do not possess such a sticker or, on visual inspection, has cracked inner foam must be rejected from use and registration and entry to your event denied
So is it sufficient to be MTBA compliant to compete in the MONT or not ?
Looking at the Mont website and reading your post above Dicko it seems EN1078 is still acceptable under MTBA rules (my Met Kaos does have an EN1078 sticker).
I'll still get a new roadie helmet though from a LBS.
This is nothing to do with the Mont but FWIW the response I received when I enquired about EN1078 for one of the races I did, was that the race used some sections of public road and AS was the only standard recognised as being road legal.
yep, and here's the stupid thing about the Mont inspection process from last.
Two people in front of me in the que. The guy had a helmet that he had ripped the plastic outer lining off, painted the now exposed outer surface of the foam liner and then glued two "horns" onto the top of it. His helmet had an AS sticker so that let him use it, no concerns at all about the missing "shell", the damage that most paints do to the integrity of the foam, the possible damage the two "horns" might cause in a crash. All they were concerned about was the sticker.
The female standing behind him, one of his team mates, had a proper MTB helmet in good condition, purchased over seas so no sticker. Did they let her race with it? Nope.
Sometimes common sense really isn't.
I emailed the guys at the Mont re helmets, re their helmet policy on Monday. I asked if my helmet without AS sticker complied last would it be compliant this year as I had searched the MTBA website and could not find any info on conpliant helmets. The response I received was that if it complied last year it will be compliant this year. Might just take a copy of the email just in case I need to argue my case.
Thsnks for clarifying re: Mont
Just so there's no confusion my comments (erm, i mean my novel) were directed to general non competition riding.
The volunteers who are told to check for a sticker which some tosser of a bureaucrat has decided a helmet must have, even though one of any number of similar stickers show the helmet will do the same job, is looking for the correct sticker. They are not insurance assessors, helmet engineers or solvent specialists. Don't expect them to use their common sense-expect them to work to the letter of the law and the conditions their insurance underwriter told them to comply with in order to be able to put on the event, and be nice to them. They're way off the bottom of the chain of people you should be having a crack at for this mindless wasting of taxpayer dollars.
And another thing. For the price saving of a few tens of $, buy your bloody helmet in Australia and save yourself the worry.
Slightly off subject but you should consider changing your helmet every 3 to 5 years or more often if exposed to significant UV. If you ride for a significant time in the summer in Perth you will probably find 3 years is the maximum. Have a google around and see what you find.
Go to Big W, buy a $9 helmet with sticker, remove sticker and put in your own helmet. The Aus standard sticker in mine came off so i either had to get new helmet or replacement sticker...
Bad idea I reckon.
For peace of mind and no fucking about the $9 is better put towards a decent AS helmet.
The cost is insignificant compared with the money that's blown on other stuff.