Does the SHARP assessment include a penetration test?
No. While some standards assess the helmet’s ability to withstand this type of impact we have concentrated on the helmet’s energy management as severe shock to the brain is a more common cause of injury. The research underpinning SHARP, COST 327 (the most comprehensive study of motorcycle crashes ever conducted in Europe) found penetration to be a very infrequent cause of injury and therefore made no recommendation for such an assessment.
