Question about helmet certification

[Kamen Guentchev]

#9966

Hello,

I have a question about the validity of older helmets for 2021, specially for Solo (autocross). My helmet has a Snell M2005 certification and I’m finding conflicting accounts as to whether it is valid for this year. This page on the national SCCA website for Rules and Regulations still lists M2005 as valid, but I can’t be sure whether the page is up to date. I found two pages of SCCA regions that stated specific validity dates for the M2005 expiration, but one was 12/31/2020 and the other – 12/31/2021, so there seems to be a lot of confusion on the subject (or local club exceptions). I know the 2020 standards are out, but there was always a “grace period” of one extra year, so I wonder – especially with the Pandemic – whether this might apply to 2021. Do we have an official Rocky Mountain Region position on this? Thanks!

Kamen

[Kamen Guentchev]

#9967

I would also like to add to the question: how about ECE R22.05? There are some good, cheaper helmets now on the market that meet that standard, and SCCA (on that page) states they are currently approved, but there is no telling for how long (unlike the “two pervious lifecycles” for Snell certification). The new ECE R22.06 is expected later this year; does that mean SCCA will stop accepting ECE R22.05 helmets then? It wouldn’t be a good investment, then.

Kamen

[Jeffrey Hugo]

#9968

For your M2005 question, we have a whole thread on that – https://www.rmsolo.org/forums/topic/2020-helmets-approved-for-scca-solo/

For your ECE question, its unknown when the current ECE spec will phase out.  It seems unlikely that ECE 05 will immediately be invalid for SCCA once ECE 06 comes out.

[Kamen Guentchev]

#9969

Thank you, very much! I had missed that thread. I will, then, be able to use my M2005 for this year, as well. Hopefully, there are better deals next year for M2015 helmets. The problem with ECE is that one never knows when it will be discontinued. ECE R22.05 is the current standard, but unlike Snell, there is no periodicity in its updating, so one cannot predict for how long it will remain acceptable to SCCA. If I bought the newest Snell-certified helmet – currently, 2020, I know it will be good for at least 15 years; but if I bought the newest ECE, it’s a mystery as to when it will be deemed to old.

Kamen

[Jeffrey Hugo]

#9975

I would expect the deals for M2015 helmets to be happening right now as vendors are looking to liquidate their existing stock.  I know I’ve seen Dave at SPS advertise such deals.

I haven’t seen the SCCA immediately invalidate a helmet or seatbelt when a new spec comes out.  There has traditionally been some kind of transition period that is publicized.  I would expect the same to happen when ECE 06 comes it.  I think that the details are not known right now, so there isn’t a plan published, but I really don’t think that ECE 05 is going to be immediately not usable the instant ECE 06 comes out.

Me personally, I pick up a SNELL helmet when the current rating goes on clearance.  I picked up a 2015 helmet at the beginning of last year.  For me, it seems like the helmet is well used (liner is tearing, etc) after 5 years, and I’d rather have a brand new one with the “latest” improvements.

[Kamen Guentchev]

#9976

I’m sure they won’t invalidate ECE 5 as soon as ECE 6 comes up, but will it be a year, or two, or five; or ten – as we know the Snell one would be? I like the availability of an internal sun shade of ECE helmets (Snell does not allow it); I wear prescription glasses that are photochromic, but that doesn’t work behind glass, so a visor would help with the glare. I know a Snell helmet will be accepted for another 10 years, and I don’t do enough racing to warrant a helmet replacement too often. Unfortunately, the Economic Commission for Europe does not have time schedules for updating their standards, so the SCCA has no good way of predicting how the standards would age in order to predict when they could move on to the next one (and abandon the older one). ECE 5 has been around since 2000, and I’m afraid the SCCA will not wait too long to stop accepting it.

Kamen

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