US · 16 CFR Part 1203
Bicycle helmets: impact and retention
Identify the market and product category first. Each dossier separates legal duties, referenced standards, evidence and the comparison needed for an award.
Product Scope
Helmets marketed for bicycle use, including multi-use helmets whose claims reasonably include cycling; not every sports helmet is covered.
Requirements
The mandatory tests address peripheral vision, positional stability, retention strength and impact attenuation, with prescribed headforms and conditioning. Required certification, warnings and production records remain part of compliance.
Required Evidence
Model/size and attachments, conditioning, complete impact traces and retention results, labels and certification records.
Comparison for the Awards
Lower peak acceleration is meaningful only under the same impact setup and conditioning, without failing retention or coverage requirements.
Version & Transition
Cycling intended use controls. Motorcycle helmets and exclusively non-cycling sports helmets require different routes.
Official Sources
Applicability depends on the product classification, intended use, configuration and actual sales territory. Manufacturing, placing-on-the-market and testing dates, together with transition provisions, are checked as required by each applicable rule. The directory identifies sources; it does not replace assessment of the specific model. Standards are identified by reference, and their authoritative texts remain with the issuing bodies. Official source documents retain their original language.