27 October, 2022 – Chiuduno, Italy: Premium Italian helmet manufacturer KASK has provided further insight into its safety testing procedures which accurately measure the performance of its cycle helmets against rotational impacts. Performed at the Newton Lab - a certified, independent testing laboratory in Milan, Italy - the KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST draws from the research of industry experts and academics to improve the way helmets are assessed against rotational forces. Customers should look out for the KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST passed logo when buying their next KASK helmet, a mark which guarantees the product has been rigorously tested against different types of impact.
Why the KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST?
Every helmet produced around the world must be tested against a range of industry standards and pass a minimum safety threshold in order to comply with manufacturing and trading regulations.
As a leading manufacturer across multiple sporting disciplines, KASK is exceeding those standards by subjecting its helmets to rigorous additional tests. Rotational impacts are a key component of these and enable the brand to deliver helmets which offer the best-possible protection.
As there are no standard tests in the cycling industry that take rotational impacts into account, KASK introduced its own test in 2019 to address that need. The procedure highlights how every helmet in its range protects against those forces.
How are KASK's helmets tested?
In recent years, numerous scientific studies have proven the importance of anti-rotational impact protection and KASK developed its KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST in order to address that need. Its successful application means KASK's helmets are among the very safest cycle helmets on the market.
The KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST has been inspired by the UNITED NATIONS' ECE 22.06 motorcycle helmets standard that does include a rotational impact test.
Cycle helmets tested by KASK are fitted to headforms of all sizes and then struck against a 45° anvil with a minimum impact speed of 6 m/s. The helmets are hit in different areas to ensure they protect riders against all types of risk.
The results
In the pursuit of ever-improving safety, KASK conducts all its tests in an independent, certified laboratory using EN960 series headforms which have a 0.3 nominal coefficient of friction.
Every helmet receives a BrIC (Brain Injury Criteria) value which is determined by their performances against both linear and rotational impacts. BrIC is an algorithm that defines the level of brain injury. To simplify; the lower the BrIC value, the lower the risk of concussion.
The BrIC value should never exceed 0.68 and so far all KASK's helmets have achieved a value never above 0.39, proving their exceptional protection against rotational impacts.
Diego Zambon, KASK General Manager, said:
"Since we introduced our KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST in 2019 it has revolutionized the way we assess helmet safety. As a result, we are able to offer helmets that not only look great and enable riders to maximize their performance, they also deliver the best-possible protection.
"We have learnt a vast amount from our research in this area and our findings will continue to play a pivotal role in how we integrate new materials and technologies into our full range of helmets."
Find out more information about the KASK ROTATIONAL IMPACT WG11 TEST here, and visit kask.com to find out more about the full range of helmets.
