Sport helmets in EU tests: 79% passed, paperwork much worse
A joint market surveillance campaign covered 100 helmets — 70 for cycling, skateboarding and roller-skating, 30 for skiing and snowboarding. 79% passed the laboratory tests, but 65% failed the formal checks of markings and documentation.
- Testing followed the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment: shock absorption, retention system, penetration resistance (ski helmets) and durability.
- 2 ski helmets failed shock absorption; of 70 bicycle helmets 19 failed, 14 of them in one test category and 5 in several at once.
- 70% of products had at least one non-compliance, test-related or formal, and 30% were fully compliant. Outcomes: 18 serious-risk notifications to Safety Gate, 5 withdrawals from the market, 8 sales bans, 14 recalls from consumers and 49 records in ICSMS.
Source: Komisja Europejska — Most sport helmets pass EU safety tests, but formal compliance is a concern