New Snell Standard - M2010

From the beginning October 1, 2009, the motorcycle riding public will be able to buy and wear motorcycle helmets certified to the new Snell M2010 standard.

There are major differences between M2010 and previous Snell Standards; mostly due to the emergence of ECE 22-05, the standard now in mandatory use throughout the UK and Europe.

Snell motorcycle helmet standards are voluntary; manufacturers build to Snell standards because they want to and they build to DOT, ECE 22-05 or other standards because they have to.

And if it comes to a choice between what a manufacturer wants to do and what it has to do, they will give up Snell for DOT or ECE 22-05 every time.

It’s not like there’s a real choice. In North America, since the mid 1970’s, the mandatory motorcycle helmet safety standard has been the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 218, colloquially known as the DOT standard (info).

In the United States, a motorcycle helmet might meet the Snell standard, but it had better meet FMVSS 218. If it doesn't, the manufacturer, the distributor, the dealer and, depending on the state, the rider would be in for a lot of grief.

For this reason, Snell said that their motorcycle helmet standards have been compatible, at the very least, with the DOT standard.