Bike riders in Victoria have a wider choice of helmets now that several international helmet standards will be accepted alongside the existing Australian standard.
Equipment importers can bring to the market helmets that meet standards deemed equivalent to the Australian standard AS/NZS 2063.
The move will save manufacturers the cost of doubling up on testing, and should encourage more brands and models to be available to Australian riders.
And theoretically, the added competition should nudge prices down.
The Department of Transport and Planning has amended the Road Safety Act 2017 to allow four international helmet safety standards to be accepted: the European standard EN 1078:2012+A1:2012, the Snell standard B-95 and two sets of American standards, US Consumer Product Safety Commission 16 CFR Part 1203 and American standard ASTM F1447-18.
These standards are considered to offer similar levels of protection to the Australian standard.
This change follows the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s recent decision to allow Australian businesses to import and sell this wider range of helmets.
All Australian states have signed on to the new arrangements.
It may take a while for these changes to filter through to bike shops. There is typically a long lead time for equipment orders so while some of the internationally approved helmets may already be in the country, there will be a wait for others.
And of course there are some leading brands on the Australian market that have been tested and meet the Australian standards as well as the other international standards.
For more information visit the Transport Victoria webpage.
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