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Helmet rule wka

M

MOONSHINEKARTS

Member
Hey guys does any one known if the new dot approved fmvss 218 rated helmet is allowed for wka rules on the helmet or does it have to have the snell rating
 
2014 WKA HELMET SPECIFICATIONS

Snell Foundation Specifications

Legal Until
SA and M 2005 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
K 2005 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
CMS 2007 (Youth Helmet) 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
CMR 2007 (Youth Helmet) 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
M 2010 12/20/2021 - Go-Karts only; not Champ Karts
SA 2010 12/20/2021 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts


SFI Specifications

Legal Until
24.1 (Youth Helmet) 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
31.2a 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
41.2a 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
24.1/2005 (Youth Helmet) 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
31.1/2005 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
41.1/2005 12/20/2016 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
24.1/2010 (Youth Helmet) 12/20/2021 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
31.1/2010 12/20/2021 - Go-Karts and Champ Karts
41.1/2010 12/20/2021 - Go-Karts only; not Champ Karts
 
$100 helmet that is SFI rated, even at the lowest m-class rating, is still a safe helmet. beats paying $500 or more for a name.....and that brings up another issue (not meaning to hijack your thread), but i've seen some that spend $1000 on a new helmet, but wear old ratty jeans, regular jackets (not race jackets) with holes everywear, tennis shoes and a pair of fingerless gloves.....clothing only by definition..... yep, i can hear it now...."got in a wicked wreck! didn't hurt me at all...at least not my head, but i lost three fingers, knee cap was scraped down to the bone, five toes broken and i got third degree burns from the header....but the helmet stood up really good dontcha think?"

never buy any helmet that doesn't have an sfi rating compatible with the sport your wearing it for and spend a little bit more and get the RIGHT clothing....might save more than you noggin.....
 
mikey56 said:
$100 helmet that is SFI rated, even at the lowest m-class rating, is still a safe helmet. beats paying $500 or more for a name.....and that brings up another issue (not meaning to hijack your thread), but i've seen some that spend $1000 on a new helmet, but wear old ratty jeans, regular jackets (not race jackets) with holes everywear, tennis shoes and a pair of fingerless gloves.....clothing only by definition..... yep, i can hear it now...."got in a wicked wreck! didn't hurt me at all...at least not my head, but i lost three fingers, knee cap was scraped down to the bone, five toes broken and i got third degree burns from the header....but the helmet stood up really good dontcha think?"

never buy any helmet that doesn't have an sfi rating compatible with the sport your wearing it for and spend a little bit more and get the RIGHT clothing....might save more than you noggin.....
Click to expand...

See that all the time here in PA, $600 helmet with $700 Bizzartist paint job, but wearing old beat up shoes and pants that have less material than a decent pair of shorts (or pajama pants) lol. epic
 
very true...but then most of those helmets (if you can call them helmets) only protect the top of your head...cops used to call those riders organ donors on wheels. the majority of the helmets are being given a "M" rating which is better than nothing....but I use a snell rated SA helmet because i'm using it for motorsports (actually 2 of them). I also spent a little more money and run a full (2 piece) fire suit with knee pads, nomex gloves and race quip boots.....momma says unless I wear them, I can't race....and you know you have to keep momma happy....or else!!!
 
mikey56 said:
very true...but then most of those helmets (if you can call them helmets) only protect the top of your head...cops used to call those riders organ donors on wheels. the majority of the helmets are being given a "M" rating which is better than nothing....but I use a snell rated SA helmet because i'm using it for motorsports (actually 2 of them). I also spent a little more money and run a full (2 piece) fire suit with knee pads, nomex gloves and race quip boots.....momma says unless I wear them, I can't race....and you know you have to keep momma happy....or else!!!
Click to expand...

You've lost it the majority of bike riders wear full face helmets tprotect the whole head, you pay extra for a helmet but wear a suit that gives you zero abrasion protection in fact you would be safer wearing blue jeans
 
After many years as a combat engineer on different posts and married to a 76 y-papa I learned that mudpuppies are the dumb and grunts never quit.

..
 
XXX#40.....maybe where you're at....but here in Georgia, the majority wear brain buckets. The jacket i wear is made for racing and i've got the heat patch on the right arm. Plus the fact that i KNOW the material isn't abrasion resistant, I still feel that it's better, way better, than a pair of jeans with holes in the knees, fingerless gloves and shoes that are better suited for the beach....I've been tossed on my head, dumped out of the kart and generally ran over and yet the suit protected me. Wear what you will, I'll stick with what I'm using.

But, back to the helmets....Snell rate the helmets for performance, not specific materials or design..... SFI on the other hand, isn't just helmets. The SFI Specs Program promote quality and reliability in the design, manufature and application of products in the auto, drag, boat and tractor pulling arenas.

What each of us wear isn't open to debate because what you think is acceptable and what i think is, will more than likely not be the same. Personal preference as to safety gear should be addressed in the rules, but only to the point of requiring a certain Snell or SFI standard. But you can't compare the two as both have different programs geared to address certain aspects of the item that they are testing. SFI is overall automotive....whereas Snell is solely for helmets....

History....Snell was brought about in 1957 after the death of Pete "William" Snell. He died as the result of massive head trama when the helmet he wore failed. Thus the Snell Foundation was brought about to save lives with standards we all know today as the Snell Rating.

End of history lesson....while the two can't be compared, i wouldn't trust anything racing related unless it had a Snell or SFI rating on it.

Thank you.........
 
mikey56 said:
very true...but then most of those helmets (if you can call them helmets) only protect the top of your head...cops used to call those riders organ donors on wheels. the majority of the helmets are being given a "M" rating which is better than nothing....but I use a snell rated SA helmet because i'm using it for motorsports (actually 2 of them). I also spent a little more money and run a full (2 piece) fire suit with knee pads, nomex gloves and race quip boots.....momma says unless I wear them, I can't race....and you know you have to keep momma happy....or else!!!
Click to expand...

I wonder what they call them in Pennsylvania. They don't have to wear a helmet there and most of them don't.
 
We got it together here in Texas our bicycle riders wear helmets and abrasion proof clothing. Our Motorcycle guys and girls wear shorts and no helmets. Now that is real freedom!
 
2 weeks ago watched a young man hit a hay bale coming off turn 4. His helmet flew off as he hit hay bale, kart flipped up on hay bale driving his skull into the concrete wall that the hay bale was in front of. Was not pretty, he's Ok but still hurting. He did not have the chin strap properly strapped, no gloves, slip on shoes, and a flannel long sleeve as his "jacket". I believe it should be MANDATORY and should be part of tech mans job or a assigned safety guy to be in the lineups and if safety gear does not meet a minimum approval they should not be allowed to enter onto track.
 
that's just too scary to even think about!! luck was definitely on his side....but it will run out one day if he doesn't pay more attention to safety.....
 
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