UK helmet law question

[m3psm]

My understanding of current UK helmet law is:

1. It must be an approved safety helmet. It'll either display a BS6658 sticker on the outside, or an EC approval mark somewhere inside. Only BS 6658 types A & B or EC Regulation 22 type 05 series are legal in the UK.
2. It must have an approved visor / goggle It'll either have a BS4110 mark or the new EC Regulation 22 type 05 mark.

I can buy a new Arai cheaper overseas (Belgium) than I can here, but need to be sure that it comes with the relevant stickers before I part with any cash. So, is there anything else I need to know?

I know the supplier as he supplies my car racing gear so there are no worries there, but he's not sold bike lids here before so isn't sure either.

Cheers

Paul

[Sossige]

I would imagine that all Arai's are approved across the EU - it's like type approval for cars; approval in one EU country grants approval in other EU member countries.

It's easy enough to check as the EC information is on a label attached to the helmet chin strap.

S

[catso]

Helmets from other EU countries will have the ECE22-05 rating as that is a Euro-wide rating, the BS number is not used on new helmets anymore. It wouldn't have the ACU Gold sticker but I don't think that is essential, except maybe for track use? but everyone involved would know that Arai is a top brand so doubt it would be questioned and as it's only a sticker I'm sure you could find one if you put your mind to it.

[hugoagogo]

afaik you can go into the offices of the ACU and get them to put a sticker on for cash money

[m3psm]

Cheers guys

That's what I thought. I'll let you know if it's noticeably cheaper when he cofirms the price. My car Arai was about £50 cheaper than anywhere in the UK, so if I can get a similar saving it can go towards the paint job

[Wyvern971]

I'd have thought it would be reasonably cheaper, i got a brand new Arai Corsair abroad for £200

[fergus]

Don't buy a jap spec shoei/arai as the head shape they base their helmets on is quite different from the euro models. North america is different again..... buy one from Europe and it will be the same as anything you buy in the UK

[Spam]

Wyvern971 said:

I'd have thought it would be reasonably cheaper, i got a brand new Arai Corsair abroad for £200

What, when, how? Was it a jap spec one?

[hiccy]

AFAIK Arai are the only company who build their lids to pass all standards, other makers produce different versions of each model to suit the standards in force for each market.

[Phone_Monkey]

Spam said:

Wyvern971 said:

I'd have thought it would be reasonably cheaper, i got a brand new Arai Corsair abroad for £200

What, when, how? Was it a jap spec one?

Helps if you are half Japanese saying that, Wyv does have a funny shaped head,

[Spam]

Phone_Monkey said:

Spam said:

Wyvern971 said:

I'd have thought it would be reasonably cheaper, i got a brand new Arai Corsair abroad for £200

What, when, how? Was it a jap spec one?

Helps if you are half Japanese saying that, Wyv does have a funny shaped head,

[smack]

I don't have a UK or Euro spec helmet - what is the worry. As long as it is constructed properly from a proper manufacturer (ie. not a fleabay knock off - is your life worth that little?), then what is the stress? In over 15 years of riding, no one has bothered to check an easily forged sticker on one of my helmets.

[pat_y]

I bought a Shoei XR1000 from the states last year, it's called an RF1000 over there, an even with shipping i saved around 40% of UK price. The whole lid is exactly the same build as euro spec shoei just without the BS mark or ACU sticker.
I 'found' myself an ACU sticker and placed on myself. (Sometimes bike shops have spare ACU stickers hanging around from hemet wholesalers), also keep an eye on e-bay
The lid is fantastic, and really wild colours that are not available in the UK, i'm genuinley suprised at how much cash you can save if you're not that worried about having the right stickers.

[Felters]

pat_y said:

i'm genuinley suprised at how much cash you can save if you're not that worried about having the right stickers.

Slight tangent but if you had a crash and were not wearing a helmet with European stickers/labels would you be liable to prosecution, and could your insurers avoid paying out?

[Conian]

Any helmet with EU approval is OK for UK.
Coppers will sometimes try and tell you otherwise.

Did they finally close up the legal loop hole from where the law said 'you must wear an approved helmet with the chin strap done up' but it never said the helmet had to be on yuor head...?

[fergus]

Conian said:

Any helmet with EU approval is OK for UK.
Coppers will sometimes try and tell you otherwise.

Did they finally close up the legal loop hole from where the law said 'you must wear an approved helmet with the chin strap done up' but it never said the helmet had to be on yuor head...?

Most coppers don't know that much law anyway.... certainly not EU law!

[pat_y]

Felters said:

pat_y said:

i'm genuinley suprised at how much cash you can save if you're not that worried about having the right stickers.

Slight tangent but if you had a crash and were not wearing a helmet with European stickers/labels would you be liable to prosecution, and could your insurers avoid paying out?

If someone pointed it out to them i suppose this may be possible, if they were aware that the lid they were looking at wasn't a Euro spec lid, for all they know the label fell off 'guv but lets be honest, any large crash where an insurance company stands to make a significant payout means they will ask many questions about everything and it's dog, i think it's unlikley they would contest over where a big name hemlet was purchased from, same for the plod, although they get a lot of bad press i'd be fairly confident they would not be looking to prosecute someone over missing stickers on a crash helmet, or perhaps i'm a bit off target there?