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Snell Helmet Safety Standards

Since its founding in 1957, the Snell Memorial Foundation has independently tested manufacturer's helmets. Its first safety standards for protective headgear were issued for auto racing in 1959. Subsequently, other specific helmet standards for motorcycling, equestrian sports, bicycling, rollerblading and skateboarding, snowboarding and skiing, and karting have been issued. These standards address performance, not specific materials or design. Periodically, utilizing specially designed test equipment, the Foundation upgrades its specifications on performance characteristics of helmets to keep pace with advances in materials, helmet technology and design.

Current Snell Standards

		M2020	2020 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling		M2020 cover
		EA2016	2016 Standard for Protective Headgear For Use in Elite Automotive Sports	pdf file	EA2016 cover
		CM2016	2016 Snell/FIA Helmet Standards For Use in Children's Motorsports	pdf file	CM2016 cover
		E2016	2016 Standard for Protective Headgear For Use in Horseback Riding	pdf file	E2016 cover
		K2015	2015 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Kart Racing	pdf file (7 KB)
		SA2015	2015 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports	pdf file (866 KB)	SA2015 Release Notes
		M2015	2015 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling	pdf file (1.6 MB)	M2015 cover
			Custom fitted helmets policy		Custom fitted helmets memorandum
		M2010	2010 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling	pdf file (725 KB)	M2010 Release Schedule
		SA/K2010	2010 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports & 2010 Helmet Standard For Use in Kart Racing	pdf file (491 KB)	SA/K2010 Release Schedule
			SAH2010 Addendum 2010 Addendum to SA2010 for the addition of frontal head restraint systems.	pdf file (256 KB)
		CMR/CMS2007	2007 Snell/FIA Helmet Standards For Use in Children's Motorsports	pdf file
		L-98	1998 Helmet Standard For Use With Mopeds and Low Powered Vehicles
		B-90A	1998 Augmentation to B-90 Standard	pdf file (69 KB)
		B-95	1995 Bicycle Helmet Standard. 1998 revision	pdf file (925 KB)
		B-95A	1998 Addendum to B-95 and N-94 Standards	pdf file (13 KB)
		B-90/95C	1998 Addendum to B-90/95 for Children Four Years and Under	pdf file (132 KB)
		B-90TT/B-95TT	Addendum to B90A and B95A Standards for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling (Time Trial racing)	pdf file (132 KB)
		E2001	2001 Helmet Standard For Use in Horseback Riding	pdf file (194 KB)
		H2000	2000 Helmet Standard For Use in Harness Racing	pdf file (119 KB)
		N-94	1994 Helmet Standard For Use in Non-Motorized Activities
		RS-98	1998 Helmet Standard For Use in  Recreational Skiing & Snowboarding	pdf file (1363 KB)
		S-98	1998 Helmet Standard For Use in Skiing

Previous Snell Standards

		M2005	2005 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling	pdf file (1000 KB)
		SA/K2005	2005 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports & 2005 Helmet Standard For Use in Kart Racing
		M2000	2000 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling.	pdf file (500 KB)
		K-98	1998 Helmet Standard For Use in Karting	pdf file (1398 KB)
		SA2000	2000 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports.	pdf file (1410 KB)
		M-95	1995 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling.
		SA-95	1995 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports.
		M-90	1990 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling.	pdf file (2070 KB)
		SA-90	1990 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports.	pdf file (1809 KB)
		M-85	1985 Helmet Standard For Use in Motorcycling.	pdf file (911 KB)
		SA-85	1985 Helmet Standard For Use in Competitive Automotive Sports.	pdf file (1562 KB)
		H-84	1984 Helmet Standard For Use in Harness Racing.	pdf file (317 KB)
		1980	1980 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (1048 KB)
		1975	1975 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (923 KB)
		Ski 1973	1973 Skiing Helmet Appendix to 1970 Standard.	pdf file (223 KB)
		Eq 1973	1973 Equestrian Helmet Appendix to 1970 Standard.	pdf file (215 KB)
		Bike 1973	1973 Bicycling Helmet Appendix to 1970 Standard.	pdf file (222 KB)
		1970	1970 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (967 KB)
		1968	1968 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (226 KB)
		1962	1962 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (895 KB)
		1959	1959 Snell General Helmet Standard.	pdf file (1165 KB)

Draft Snell Standards

NX2003

2003 Helmet Standard For Use in extreme sports (non-motorized).

pdf file (421 KB)