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European helmets approved nationwide

Touratech Aventuro Mod Compañero flip-up adventure helmet
Touratech Aventuro Mod Compañero flip-up adventure helmet

Australians will soon be able ride nationwide with a European-standard helmet after Western Australia yesterday became the final state to approve UNECE 22.05 helmets.

South Australia announced Euro helmet approval last month, effective from May. The pressure is now on SA to recognise the approval of helmets UNECE helmets worn by interstate riders particularly given the state has previously demanded other states recognise variations in their road traffic regulations.

Longtime helmet campaigner Wayne Caruthers says WA has now updated their rider information page with information that may confuse some riders.

He says the regulation only refers to “comply with UNECE 22.05” which is correct but their information page states:

The label may appear as a sticker on the outside of the helmet or a label sewn into the retention system of the helmet.

“The sticker on the exterior is not required in UNECE 22.05 or the approval in WA, it is only “advertising” compliance used by some manufacturers,” Wayne says.

“I believe the WA web info page will be amended next week to emphasise the label on the chin strap/retention system as stickers degrade over time and are too easily forged,” he says.

Under new Euro helmet approvals, the label is required to be sewn into the chin strap and must have:

  • The Circle and E with the number of the country which approved the helmet;
  • The approval No;
  • A Dash followed by J or P or JP to indicate chin guard type; and
  • A dash followed by the helmet Serial No.

In December, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission changed the rules to allow their retail sale, even though Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and Northern Territory had already approved their use.

As soon as the ACCC approval came through, NSW approved them.

Since then, Tasmania, South Australia and now WA have approved their use.

Touratech Aventuro Mod Comparer flip-up adventure helmet may nationwide
Touratech Aventuro Mod Compañero flip-up adventure helmet

Meanwhile, several major importers are now beginning to import European helmets without seeking Australian standards testing and introducing new models to the market including Touratech’s Schubert flip-up adventure helmet.

We expect other importers will also no longer seek the expensive and protracted Australian approval process, which should make helmets cheaper.

The new laws should also open the way for innovative helmets such as the Skully with integrated head-up display and the Sena smart helmet with built-in noise-cancelling technology.

    1. Hi Al,
      The Euro helmet approval has nothing to do with cameras. Read this to see where that issue is at: http://webbikeworld.com/judge-dismisses-helmet-camera-fine/
      As for visors, the ACCC only revoked the mandatory standard limiting sale of helmets to only AS1698.
      Where a rider purchases an AS1698 helmet the standard specifies that any replacement visor should meet AS1609 but since no labelling is required a rider cannot be expected to know any visor actually meets AS1609. It
      is one of life’s cruel little jokes.
      Where a rider purchases a UNECE 22.05 helmet, the visor fitted will meet UNECE22.05 but there is no requirement in UNECE 22.05 for replacement visors fitted after sale to meet UNECE 22.05, that is left for
      regulators to specify separately which is what the UK does under BSI4110.
      Australian regulators have not realised that in their interim approvals of UNECE 22.05 but it is likely it will be addressed in national regulations.
      Cheers,
      Mark

      1. Well yes and no, the police were trying it on in regard to the AS1698 particularities.
        My question without spelling it out as I am now is could the police try the same things on under the UNECE 22,05 rules?
        Are they spelled out any clearer in regard to protruding attachments etc
        The visor info is appreciated.

  1. The current situation re visor tinting is a complete farce, in the UK as far back as 2000 the BSI standards committee responsible for eye protector standards have been asking for a relaxation for dark tints – reducing the minimum light transmittance from 50% to 18%. BSI are supported by the police, the AA and the RAC, only the UK Transport Dept objects

    Here in Oz the visor standards are so out of date as to be meaningless and motor veicle standards allow front windscreens down to 75% Visible Light Tansmittance with the average car being 85% plus the reduction in VLT caused by the rake of the car windscreen which is accepted to be around 15% so a vehicle driver can be driving in all conditions day and night with an effective VLT down to 60%. Then we allow side and rear rindscreens to be tinted down to 35% and no authority will investigate the effect of tinting on SMIDSY yet motorcyclists are not permitted lower VLT visors even in daylight.

  2. There is less scope for the police to try it on, under UNECE 22.05 but that will not stop the less than finest doing so

    The attitude in NSW was apparently that they would write the tickets and “let the courts work it out”. That attitude is completley out of step with their police handbook and code of conduct. I am told there was an internal instruction to cease writing the infringement notices. If any NSW officer writes an infringement notice for either a visor or camera the fine should be challenged, a complaint laid against the officer for failing to meet their code of conduct and the MCC of NSW advised.

    The individual State approvals of UNECE is only an interim measure, the Staes have all agreed to a single set of rules under the ARR, when the common rules are put into place cameras and visors would be expected to be clarified.

  3. I have contacted Shoei and Arai in Europe to ask if their ECE22,05 helmets have ece22,05 approved tinted visitors, there response is no via email.
    Can you substantiate this ?
    Also testing the VLT is very very easy for a roadside cop, I have seen the VLT colour charts, in short unless it’s very light shade of grey tint , the darker ones that are sold don’t meet this

    1. The VLT of the Shoei visors is now known and I have it on line on the web page below
      http://www.crossroadz.com.au/OzHelmets/HelmetVisors.html
      You will also see in the overlays which other manufacturers have provided VLT information

      Re testing of VLT by police, no it is not easy, in fact the UK police have been specifically prohibited from attempting it even with electronic measuring equipment since 2007. The results from both VLT charts and electronic road side devices are unreliable. For this reason NSW dropped the requirement for the VLT of car wind screens to be tested at annual registration inspections

      The ACCC has stated that they only consider it can be done in a laboratory even for sun glass lens, they do not even consider an optomitrist can reliably test VLT of any Lens with the equipment optomitrists have

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