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Back in 2007, the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport launched a “consumer information scheme” to help riders make informed decisions about motorcycle helmets. The scheme, dubbed “SHARP,” (Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme), tests and rates helmets on the market, and then ranks them accordingly.
We’re Always Learning
Since its launch, international helmet standards and regulations have changed and updated. Therefore, to keep up with experience and research happening every day, the UK government is updating SHARP. They’re doing so with the the help of the Transport Research Laboratory. The TRL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Transport Research Foundation, a non-profit “established for the impartial furtherance of transport and related research, consultancy, and expert advice.”
Look Up Your Helmet
You can see the current state of their helmet rating system at the UK government SHARP website. It is loaded with information.
TRL will update the SHARP scheme by reviewing a mountain of data, thusly:
Using its extensive collection of literature, TRL will review and critically appraise the scientific evidence base relating to motorcycle helmet safety, head injury criteria, relevant national and in-depth motorcyclist collision data and international motorcycle helmet test and assessment protocols. A gap analysis will then be performed to identify, evidence and recommend possible amendments for the enhanced SHARP test and rating protocols.
Call For Data
And they’re not just using data that they have already collected. They are currently, actively calling for more information and evidence. The project is aiming “to identify the evidence base for key factors associated with motorcyclist collision data, motorcyclist helmet impact mechanisms, head injury criteria and testing approaches.”
Benefit For All Motorcyclists
Even those of us who do not live in the UK will benefit from this research and study. Road-going motorcyclists all over the world wear helmets and, unfortunately, crash in them. All of us will benefit from research into how helmets protect us and how they don’t. This research will help improve helmet design.
This project, called “SHARP 2025,” is currently collecting data for analysis. They are obviously aiming for a completion date in 2025, and we will keep you updated when that happens.
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