Don’t risk the holiday helmet
If you’re heading off on a fancy holiday to the States it’s tempting to take an extra large suitcase and fill up on some biking bargains. Although the exchange rate isn’t what it used to be, many are tempted to pick up a new lid; lured by exotic paint schemes and different model names, or just to take advantage of the £100 or so saving. But riders who do this and then use the lid on UK roads are breaking the law. US helmets have to comply with the DOT (Department of Transport) standard and carry a marking indicating their compliance on the rear. Whereas UK helmets must be tested to the more rigorous ECE R22.05 standard or BSI 665885 Type A, and display proof of this compliance on the helmet.
As a helmet is the only legally required piece of clothing you need to wear when riding in Britain (unlike France and Belgium that also mandate CE-certified gloves and boots), using one that isn’t sanctioned for use in the UK is just as bad in legal terms as not wearing one at all. Should you be involved in a serious incident where your bike and kit are inspected as a result, wearing a DOT helmet will invalidate your insurances (both for your bike and also any personal injury or life cover). That’s a huge price to pay for a small saving. And this is no urban scare story: UK helmet importers tell us they have regular contact from the police investigating the use of non-UK legal helmets in serious accidents, and also talk of the consequences.