An additional 25 motorcycle helmets have been rated by SHARP – the DfT’s Safety Helmet Assessment and Ratings Programme – taking the number of ratings published to 150.
Paul Clark, road safety minister, said: "If all riders wore the safest helmets available 50 lives could be saved each year. By providing comprehensive and independent safety information through SHARP and the THINK! Motorcycle Academy, as well as reminding drivers to look out for bikes, I hope that we can help to make the roads safer for motorcyclists and see a reduction in the number of needless tragedies which happen each year."
Helmets sold in the UK must meet minimum legal safety standards but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to provide riders with more information on how much protection a helmet can provide in a crash. The objective advice includes guidance on how to select a good fitting helmet.
The SHARP tests – which award ratings of between one and five stars – showed that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as much as 70%.
For more information about the SHARP programme, visit the SHARP website at: www.direct.gov.uk/sharp
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