A helmet’s price and colour are easy to judge in a shop; its behaviour in a crash is not. Britain’s SHARP programme publishes independent comparative ratings to make that less opaque. Its advice starts with fit and comfort: find helmets that sit securely on your head, then compare the protection offered by those suitable models.
For each rated model, the programme performs 30 straight-line and two oblique impact assessments, using at least seven helmets in a range of sizes. It examines the front, sides, crown and rear at several speeds and against different surfaces. The results feed into a one-to-five-star rating that also reflects crash data on where impacts occur.
Five stars indicate strong protection around the helmet, but a rating cannot replace the right size and a secured chin strap. The SHARP score adds information about differences between models; it is no promise that a particular helmet will prevent injury. Trying on several helmets first makes the rating more useful when choosing between the ones that fit.