Frequently Asked Questions

The Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP) is a consumer information initiative that was launched by the Department for Transport in 2007 following research that revealed real differences in the safety performance of motorcycle helmets available in the UK. SHARP’s purpose is to provide riders with:

• clear advice on how to select a helmet that fits correctly and is comfortable to wear
• impartial and objective information about the relative safety performance of helmets available to purchase in the UK

SHARP is one of several government funded schemes to improve road safety in the UK. The Department for Transport funds the testing and rating of helmets. Using public finances means that SHARP ratings are independent and impartial.

Motorcyclists represent one of the most vulnerable road user groups. Typically, in the UK they represent 1% of traffic but 19% of the casualties. Significantly, around 80% of all motorcyclist fatalities and 70% of those with serious injuries, sustain head injuries. Research also shows that, statistically, head impacts are distributed uniformly around the circumference of the helmet. Research for the Department of Transport revealed significant differences in the degree of impact protection available from the vast range of helmets retailed in the UK. This research also indicated that the safety potential of a helmet is not reflected in its retail price. Whilst all helmets that are sold or worn legally in the UK must meet minimum safety standards it was clear that some helmets exceed the minimum safety standard to a much greater extent than others.

In addition, research also highlighted that helmet detachment can occur during the collision sequence with reports indicating that this causes 10% to 14% of motorcycle casualties. Helmets usually come off because they are too big for the wearer and do not fit. For this reason, SHARP aims to communicate the benefits of selecting a helmet that fits properly.

Research has estimated that up to 50 lives could be saved each year if all motorcyclists were to wear helmets that score highly in the SHARP assessment.

In 2022, 350 motorcyclists were killed on UK roads. One in 3 of them was under 30 years of age.

Yes. In 2013 SHARP was presented with two separate awards in recognition of its contribution to improving the road safety of motorcyclists. SHARP received a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in November 2013 and was also awarded the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) annual road safety award in December 2013.

Yes. A study was commissioned by the Department for Transport in 2015 and the report of this work can be found in the library section of this website (SHARP – A study of its effect on the UK motorcycle helmet market)

No. SHARP does not aim to test all new helmet models. It is not possible for SHARP to test every new helmet that comes onto the UK market. All new helmets coming onto the market must, by law, go through a process of assessment beforehand to prove they meet the necessary minimum legal requirements for helmets, so the SHARP scheme does not need to re-test all helmets.  Rather, SHARP is a consumer information programme that provides detail about the performance of a helmet which cannot be assessed by a buyer. The helmets we test are generally ones requested by the public, or selected by us so that we encourage the manufacturers to make helmets that will gain a high star rating.

Helmet models are selected by using a range of criteria, including market information and requests from the trade or individual members of the public. We try to test a mixture of very popular helmets, new brands, across different price ranges, and helmets with new or unusual features from different manufacturers.

To maintain total independence, once we have decided which model of helmet to test, we purchase helmets from UK retailers.

Not presently. We have concentrated on testing full face and system/modular (flip front) helmets because the majority of helmets sold fall into this category. The style of a helmet is a very personal choice.

To date, SHARP has rated over 520 models of helmet and we are working hard to provide ratings for as many other full face and system helmets as possible, subject to their availability to the UK motorcyclist.

If you have any questions regarding SHARP or want to provide feedback regarding any aspect of the scheme, please e-mail us at sharp@trl.co.uk or tweet us at @SHARPgovuk.

Yes. Please use the ‘REQUEST HELMET TEST’ form on this website or Tweet us @SHARPgovuk.

When we decide which helmets to test, we take into account the popularity of a helmet judging by how many people have asked for it to be tested. So please keep your requests coming in!

From your list of suggestions, we then aim to test a variety of helmets based on their price, brand, type of helmet or key features.

The star rating system is an easy and quick way to convert science into a user-friendly format that is familiar, like a feedback rating or merit award . Each additional star tells you that the helmet will provide a greater level of protection to your head if you have a crash or fall off your motorbike.

Interpretation of the test results is complex. So the overall safety assessment is expressed as a star rating to enable motorcyclists to quickly and easily identify those helmets likely to offer the highest level of protection: 5‐stars being the highest and 1‐star the lowest. The more SHARP stars a helmet has, the better the protection it can give beyond the minimum required by law.

A detailed answer to this question can be found in the document ‘SHARP rating calculation procedure‘ which can be found in the SHARP library section of this website.

A helmet assessed by SHARP is not given a pass/fail score. All helmets that are rated by SHARP have already been designed and tested to prove that they meet the safety standards that make them legal for sale in the UK. This means they offer – at least – a minimum level of protection in the event of a crash. However, as our tests show, some helmets are designed to provide much more protection than this minimum level, you just can’t see it.

It’s not necessarily the highest SHARP rated helmet that will be the best for you. Any helmet rated by SHARP will provide protection for your head in a crash. But that protection only works if the helmet fits you properly and you are wearing it correctly. A five star helmet that is too loose and will come off in a crash is not a good option for you. A three star helmet that makes your ears sore and distracts you at a dangerous junction is not protecting you. When you are choosing your helmet, try on as many as you can to find a selection that fit and are comfortable. Then if you have several to choose from, use the SHARP star rating to help you make the safest possible choice.

SHARP observes whether a system or flip helmet opens during normal testing when it should stay closed. During each of our 30 linear impact tests we note whether the lower face cover (or facebar/chinbar) has unlatched or unlocked during the impact. The number of times the faceguard remains fully locked after each of the linear impacts is expressed as a percentage: this is the latch score. For example, if the facebar stayed completely shut in every one of the thirty impacts the score would be 100% but if it should open on nine occasions, the score would be 70%.

We are not currently able to apply an objective measure to the safety effect of a failure of the chinbar locking mechanism and therefore we do not factor this into the safety (star) rating.

Yes. SHARP includes a test for rotational acceleration in the same way that UN-ECE Regulation does. Detailed information about these tests and how they relate to real world road accidents can be found in the report ‘Technical Response to the Unpublished Paper by NJ Mills‘ which can be found in the SHARP library section of this website.

We do not have any evidence to suggest that in a motorcycle crash, helmets suffer repeated impacts on the same site. However, real world data does tell us that helmets can receive multiple impacts in a crash, and that is why the SHARP assessment does involve more than one impact on a single helmet, but at different points.

The kind of brain injury that can happen in a crash depends on what part of your head is bashed inside the helmet. To ensure that we accurately assess helmet performance, it is important that our impact conditions are representative of real-world crashes. The in-depth investigations into crashes carried out by COST 327 confirmed a direct correlation between the location of damage to a helmet and head injury. It considered the UN-ECE Regulation impact locations to be appropriate and SHARP therefore uses the same impact points – to the front, rear, crown, left and right sides.

In addition to this however, for every helmet model that is rated, a sample is dismantled to check whether there is any localised reinforcement that could lead to an inappropriately high rating. If this is considered likely, SHARP retains the right to test at any other point on the helmet (within the extent of protection specified in Annex 4 to UN-ECE Regulation 22.05).

SHARP makes no assessment of the chin bar that covers the lower half of the face, only the locking system to keep it in place. We believe the mandatory chin bar assessment of the British Standard or UN-ECE Regulation 22.05 and 22.06 are adequate – we have no measure by which we can objectively rate their safety beyond compliance with these requirements. We do however check each helmet that we assess to ensure that these tests have been conducted, given that Regulation 22.06 approvals can be given to a full-face helmet even when the chin bar has not been shown to satisfy the specific chin bar requirements. When we find this case, we indicate it on our website by use of a helmet symbol having a red cross over the chin bar.

The SHARP assessment is based on independent research and recommendations. The two primary sources of evidence are in the recommendations made by the COST (Cooperation in Scientific and Technical Research) 327 study – the most comprehensive study of motorcycle crashes ever conducted in Europe. There is also research carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory (under contract to the UK DfT) including: Motorcycle helmets: test and assessment protocol prove out. Copies of these reports can be found in the library section of this website.

SHARP tests mimic what happens when a rider comes off their motorcycle or moped at speed and their head hits the road. The highest rated helmets offer the best head protection to the wearer.

A detailed answer to this question can be found in the report ‘Technical Response to the Unpublished Paper by NJ Mills‘ which can be found in the SHARP library section of this website.

SHARP sets a higher benchmark than the regulations. A range of tests are required for a helmet to obtain an approval to UN-ECE Regulations. These tests include hot and cold temperature impact absorption tests, the strength and durability of retention systems, visor and field of vision tests etc. SHARP goes further by subjecting a helmet to more demanding impact tests. So a helmet that passes a SHARP test can be said to perform better than one which meets the UN-ECE Regulations.

Yes. Please use the ‘REQUEST HELMET TEST’ form on this website or Tweet us @SHARPgovuk.

When we decide which helmets to test, we take into account the popularity of a helmet judging by how many people have asked for it to be tested. So please keep your requests coming in!

From your list of suggestions, we then aim to test a variety of helmets based on their price, brand, type of helmet or key features.

No. An ACU gold sticker is awarded by the Auto Cycle Union for helmets which have been tested by the ACU and found to be suitable for use in motorsports. If you want to race your bike, you must wear a helmet with an ACU gold sticker. A SHARP star rating is awarded after an independent assessment of the level of protection offered by a helmet, based on ordinary road use only. For example, SHARP tests helmets by simulating a rider crashing at 40mph onto a road with a kerb. On a race track, a rider may be going much faster and will crash onto a road that is smooth and free of obstacles. For this reason, ACU and SHARP conduct different types of tests.

No. The SHARP assessment does not include any specific test for the chin strap.

No. Helmets are rarely punctured in a road collision. The biggest risk is from the impact of a helmet hitting the road. While some standards do assess the helmet’s ability to withstand being punctured, 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.

SHARP only tests brand new helmets. SHARP is not aware of any tests that have been done on the effect of age on the safety of a helmet. Helmets are made of many different materials and manufactured in different ways. We recommend following the advice of the manufacturer about the lifespan of their helmet.

SHARP tests helmets “out of the box”, as sold, which means that if peripherals are supplied as original equipment, the helmet will be tested with them in place. This is line with tests for approval to UN ECE Regulation 22.06. SHARP does not test helmets with add-on equipment sold separately and fitted after purchase.

In the UK, anyone riding a motorbike, or a powered two-wheeler like a moped or scooter must wear a helmet.

All helmets sold in the UK must comply with at least 1 of these:

• British Standard BS 6658:1985 and carry the BSI (British Standards Institution) Kitemark
• UN ECE Regulation 22.05 or 22.06
• Any standard accepted by a member of the European Economic Area which offers a level of safety and protection equivalent to BS 6658:1985 and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI Kitemark

This will most likely be indicated by a sticker on the back of the helmet. There are no rules about the style or age of a helmet. Buying a helmet labelled with ECE 22.05/22.06 or BS6658 ensures that you have a helmet that will provide a minimum level of protection to your head in a crash. SHARP provides an independent assessment of how much a helmet exceeds these minimum levels of protection – to enable riders to make an informed choice when buying a new helmet.

Helmets deteriorate with age, regardless of use. The protection they provide will decline with time. For this reason, helmet manufacturers recommend that riders should replace a helmet after 3 to 5 years. If you wear the same helmet frequently, you should think about replacing it sooner, simply because of general wear and because the lining will compress over time, making the fit looser, which reduces the protection afforded to your brain.

Helmets are made of a mixture of composite materials; they have metal bits that can rust, plastic parts that crack, fabric that frays, and foam that crumbles with age. Helmets are just like shoes: you can put them away in a cupboard, and take them out five years later, never worn, looking like new, but they fall apart the first time you wear them.

We are not aware of independent tests to say how long a helmet should last, but the helmet designers and helmet testers agree that the best general advice is to plan to replace your helmet every five years, or sooner.  New helmet designs offer new features that could make your riding experience more comfortable, enjoyable and safer.

The date of manufacturer is marked on all new helmets sold legally in the UK. This is important information because a helmet could have been on the shelf in a shop for two years, in which case you would need to think about replacing it within 3 years. Y

ou can check the date of manufacture, it is normally on the outside of the helmet, or on a label on the chin strap, or the date may be on a sticker inside the helmet, under the lining.

Even a small drop can have unseen consequences that mean your helmet is no longer as safe as it was when new. Helmets are designed to absorb the shock of an impact, saving your brain from damage. A helmet that rolls off a sofa and onto a carpet is likely to be ok. A helmet that falls off the seat of your bike and hits the pavement is not likely to be ok. Imagine it’s your bare head in each case. Your head will bounce unharmed on carpet, but you could be badly hurt by hitting your head on the pavement, even at low speed or a short height. Even if there is not a mark on the exterior of the helmet, cracks in the hard shell of the helmet may not be visible, or the padding inside could have been affected by a fall. If you were to have a crash while wearing this damaged helmet, it simply may not protect your head in the way it is intended to. This is a big risk to take. Our best advice is that if a helmet has fallen onto a hard surface, it should be replaced as soon as possible

If possible, take your helmet to your council waste disposal site and put it in the general refuse bin. Or put your old helmet in the dustbin at home on the day when waste is collected. It is important not to leave your helmet anywhere that it might be found and used again. Do not pass your old helmet on to a friend, family member or to anyone learning to ride. Do not sell it or give it to a charity shop. Your helmet is for you alone. There is no process for recycling helmets in the UK.

Within your budget, we recommend that you think about FIT, COMFORT AND SAFETY when deciding to buy a new helmet:

Fit – try on as many brands and models as possible within your price range to find the ones that fit correctly (further information on fit is this page and the Z card).

Comfort – wear the helmet for a while to make sure it does not cause pressure points that may be uncomfortable and blocks out noise effectively.

Safety – from the helmets that are the right fit and are comfortable, select the helmet with the highest SHARP safety rating in your price bracket.

Given that over 500 models of helmet have been rated, riders should be able to find a new helmet with a 3 to 5 star safety rating in any price range.

It is important that a helmet fits well if it is to provide its best protection – studies estimate that between 10% and 14% of deaths result from a helmet coming off in a crash. Comfort is also important and should be considered when making a purchase. An uncomfortable helmet can distract you when riding, and a poor fitting helmet may offer reduced protection in the event of an accident. The safety rating is a third criterion that can help you decide on a helmet. Other features of a helmet may influence your choice, but SHARP offers no opinion on things that do not affect the protection a helmet provides.

Yes, as a general guide, a helmet approved to and marked UN ECE 22.06 is a newer model that will provide more protection as a minimum in comparison with a 22.05 approved helmet. When choosing a helmet, you should think first about how well it fits and is comfortable.

Yes, a quiet helmet is a comfortable helmet. Riding is noisy. You need to stay alert when riding, and noise will rapidly become tiresome. You are at a greater risk of a crash when you cannot concentrate because you are tired or distracted by constant noise in your helmet. Wearing a quiet helmet will also protect your hearing from the damage of sustained exposure to noise.

Discomfort from noise is subjective, for this reason, helmets are not designed to any standard for soundproofing. SHARP do not test helmets for their acoustic properties because we are not aware of any test process that is reliable, repeatable and is a fair representation of noise when riding.

To find out how quiet a helmet is, we recommend you wear it for at least 10 minutes in a noisy place. Only you can decide if the helmet is quiet enough to be comfortable.

No. Regardless of price, if a helmet is approved to, and labelled as, ECE 22.05/22.06 or BS 6658:1985 it is a safe helmet.

There is no connection between the protection indicated by a SHARP star rating and the price of a helmet. A budget price helmet can have four or five stars. An expensive helmet can have a low star rating. As a buyer, you cannot see what additional features have been included in a helmet to make it offer more protection than the legal minimum requirement. As a buyer you cannot see what extra protection has been left out of a helmet to compensate for costly paint, and styling or the addition of features like comms. Use the SHARP star rating to check which helmets within your price range have more protection, after you have made your choice based on fit and comfort.

A helmet assessed by SHARP is not given a pass/fail score. All helmets that are rated by SHARP have already been designed and tested to prove that they meet the safety standards that make them legal for sale in the UK. This means they offer – at least – a minimum level of protection in the event of a crash. However, as our tests show, some helmets are designed to provide much more protection than this minimum level, you just can’t see it.

It’s not necessarily the highest SHARP rated helmet that will be the best for you. Any helmet rated by SHARP will provide protection for your head in a crash. But that protection only works if the helmet fits you properly and you are wearing it correctly. A five star helmet that is too loose and will come off in a crash is not a good option for you. A three star helmet that makes your ears sore and distracts you at a dangerous junction is not protecting you. When you are choosing your helmet, try on as many as you can to find a selection that fit and are comfortable. Then if you have several to choose from, use the SHARP star rating to help you make the safest possible choice.

An oversize helmet offers very little protection to the wearer. For people with a lot of hair, or braids, it is really important to find a helmet that still feels secure on your head. How you wear your hair makes a difference. If you can enclose it evenly around your head under a head covering (scarf, or helmet liner), your helmet is more likely to fit securely. If you need to pile your hair on the top of your head, please seek advice from experienced retailers who can measure your head properly and suggest helmet makes and models that will be best able to deal with lots of hair. Some helmets have linings that can be customised to make allowances for hair.

A good fitting helmet will require a little squeezing of the cheeks and forehead to get on. This means that there is always a risk of spoiling your makeup. However, there is a high risk of facial disfigurement from gravel rash, or losing your teeth and nose if your helmet is a loose fit and is ripped off when you come off your bike/moped. Aim to end every ride with a smile and put your makeup on when you arrive.

All helmets have a belt-like strap below the chin of some sort. This is a strap in two pieces that joins each side of the helmet by connecting the helmet under each ear. This chin strap is an essential safety feature. You need to be certain your helmet will stay on your head if you fall off. One of the most common causes of head injury to motorcyclists is forgetting to do up the chin strap. Even at slow speeds, if your head hits the road, an unsecured helmet will be pulled off. There are two types of chin strap, the difference is the mechanism for securing the two pieces together. A D-ring is similar to a trouser belt, one strap loops through a pair of D-shaped metal rings; you pull the strap as tightly as is comfortable and the strap will not come undone. A D-ring strap can be fiddly to do up and undo, but once it is done up, it stays secure. A ratchet strap has a set of teeth that lock together. A ratchet strap is quick to do up and to undo, has micro adjustments for comfort, but can be undone accidentally when riding. One type of chin strap is not better than the other. It is a personal preference. There are no independent tests by SHARP to assess the chin straps on new helmets. The important thing is that as the wearer, you remember to always do it up before you ride.

Yes. Please use the ‘REQUEST HELMET TEST’ form on this website or Tweet us @SHARPgovuk.

When we decide which helmets to test, we take into account the popularity of a helmet judging by how many people have asked for it to be tested. So please keep your requests coming in!

From your list of suggestions, we then aim to test a variety of helmets based on their price, brand, type of helmet or key features.

Yes, it’s fine to buy a new helmet on the internet. What matters is that you have help selecting a helmet that fits you properly and is comfortable to wear. In a shop, the staff will be trained to measure your head and recommend a make and model to try. If you are buying from an internet site, be sure that you are allowed to try the helmet on and return it if it isn’t right for you. Wear the helmet at home for at least 10 minutes to decide if it is comfortable. Ask a friend to check that it is secure, not too tight and not too loose. Be wary of bargain priced helmets for sale on the internet. A really cheap helmet, in comparison to its normal retail price, is possibly a fake.

It is generally possible to identify when a helmet is not genuine. If the price is very low in comparison to its normal retail price, be suspicious. A cheap helmet for sale at a bargain price is highly unlikely to be the real thing.

The best way to avoid counterfeit helmets is to buy yours from a reputable retailer – online or from a shop. Take time to research the average price of your helmet. If the price is “too good to be true”, the helmet is probably fake. If in doubt, look carefully and check that the helmet has the correct brand name and logo. A genuine helmet will be clearly marked with ECE Reg 22.05 or ECE Reg 22.06 either on the outside at the back, or on a label fixed to the inside of the chinstrap and it will show the size in cm and letters (e.g. 57-58 ‘M’). The best way to spot a fake is to put the helmet next to one you know for sure is genuine. Take the liners out and compare the inside finish of the helmet shell.

If you spot a helmet that you are sure is a fake, please report the seller to Trading Standards via your local council website. Fake helmets are dangerous because they offer no guarantee of any protection to your head.

Even if you know the person offering you a second-hand helmet, you cannot truly know the helmet. Is it the right size and shape for you? Has it been dropped? Where has it been stored? How old is it? Has the liner been washed? How many times has it been used? How worn is the chin strap? The liners of helmets are designed to gently mould to the head shape of the wearer. So a second-hand helmet will never truly fit you. A helmet that doesn’t fit is not going to provide good protection in a crash. If you were injured in a crash wearing a second-hand helmet, you may receive less financial compensation from an insurance claim. It’s your head, it’s your life at risk, buy a new helmet every time.

Yes. SHARP only tests helmets that are legal for sale in the UK. Legal helmets all meet the minimum regulatory safety requirements – they have already passed a test to say they will provide a basic level of protection. If a helmet has not been tested by SHARP, it is still safe to wear if it has been marked as compliant with UN ECE Regulation 22.05/22.06 or conform to BS 6658:1985 or to any standard accepted by a member of the European Economic Area which offers a level of safety and protection equivalent to BS 6658:1985 and carry a mark equivalent to the BSI Kitemark.

SHARP only tests helmets after they have been launched and distributed to the shops. For this reason you won’t find a star rating sticker on helmets or printed on packaging. Retailers are normally aware of which of their products has a SHARP rating and often advertise it. The best way to check if the helmet you are trying on has a SHARP rating is to look up the make and model on our website using the HELMET SEARCH form.