There’s a lot of confusing data out there about what makes a helmet safer.   Some say a harder helmet is safer than a soft one.  Others say that the helmet’s stiffness isn’t the be-all-end-all.  They think it’s all about how rotational energy is handled.  There’s so much data out there that it’s difficult to know what really makes a helmet safer.

One helmet manufacturer, Arai, believes that harder helmets are safer helmets.  In a nutshell, they say that reducing energy to the head is key to helmet safety, and they believe a harder helmet does a better job of doing just that.

To demonstrate what an Arai helmet goes through before reaching production, current and six-times World Superbike Champion and one time World Supersport Champion Jonathan Rae visited an Arai facility where they demonstrate how their helmets are made and tested.

In his video, Rea visits with Arai engineers to understand what goes into making an Arai helmet.  It also touches on some aspects of helmet testing and what an Aria helmet goes through to ensure it will receive governmental approvals.

The video demonstrates a number of the tests required to gain those approvals.  And, it’s quite interesting to witness some of the actual tests that manufacturers carry out.  It seems that in this video, penetration testing is one of Arai’s key concerns.

Whether it’s stopping penetration, handling rotational forces, or absorbing impact energy, this video shows you some actual test methods.  So if you have a few minutes, this video can be a worthwhile view.  That said, it does not do much to clear up the lingering question.  That is, what makes the safest helmet?

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