PART 1203—SAFETY STANDARD FOR BICYCLE HELMETS Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2056, 2058, and 6001-6006. Subpart B is also issued under 15 U.S.C. 2063. Subpart C is also issued under 15 U.S.C. 2065. Source: 63 FR 11729, Mar. 10, 1998, unless otherwise noted. Subpart A—The Standard § 1203.1 Scope, general requirements, and effective date. (a) Scope. (b) General requirements Projections. (2) Labeling and instructions. (3) Performance tests. (4) Units. (c) Effective date. § 1203.2 Purpose and basis. The purpose and basis of this standard is to reduce the likelihood of serious injury and death to bicyclists resulting from impacts to the head, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 6001-6006. § 1203.3 Referenced documents. (a) The following documents are incorporated by reference in this standard. (1) Draft ISO/DIS Standard 6220-1983—Headforms for Use in the Testing of Protective Helmets. 1 1 (2) SAE Recommended Practice SAE J211 OCT88, Instrumentation for Impact Tests. (b) This incorporation by reference was approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR Part 51. Copies of the standards may be obtained as follows. Copies of the draft ISO/DIS Standard 6220-1983 are available from American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Copies of the SAE Recommended Practice SAE J211 OCT88, Instrumentation for Impact Tests, are available from Society of Automotive Engineers, 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale, PA 15096. Copies may be inspected at the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. § 1203.4 Definitions. (a) Basic plane (b) Bicycle helmet 2 2 (c) Comfort or fit padding (d) Coronal plane (e) Field of vision (f) Helmet positioning index (“HPI”) (g) Midsagittal plane (h) Modular elastomer programmer (“MEP”) 1/4 (i) Preload ballast (j) Projection (k) Reference headform (l) Reference plane (m) Retention system (n) Shield (o) Spherical impactor (p) Test headform (q) Test region § 1203.5 Construction requirements—projections. Any unfaired projection extending more than 7 mm (0.28 in.) from the helmet's outer surface shall break away or collapse when impacted with forces equivalent to those produced by the applicable impact-attenuation tests in § 1203.17 of this standard. There shall be no fixture on the helmet's inner surface projecting more than 2 mm into the helmet interior. § 1203.6 Labeling and instructions. (a) Labeling. (1) Model designation. (2) A warning to the user that no helmet can protect against all possible impacts and that serious injury or death could occur. (3) A warning on both the helmet and the packaging that for maximum protection the helmet must be fitted and attached properly to the wearer's head in accordance with the manufacturer's fitting instructions. (4) A warning to the user that the helmet may, after receiving an impact, be damaged to the point that it is no longer adequate to protect the head against further impacts, and that this damage may not be visible to the user. This label shall also state that a helmet that has sustained an impact should be returned to the manufacturer for inspection, or be destroyed and replaced. (5) A warning to the user that the helmet can be damaged by contact with common substances (for example, certain solvents [ammonia], cleaners [bleach], etc.), and that this damage may not be visible to the user. This label shall state in generic terms some recommended cleaning agents and procedures (for example, wipe with mild soap and water), list the most common substances that damage the helmet, warn against contacting the helmet with these substances, and refer users to the instruction manual for more specific care and cleaning information. (6) Signal word. (b) Instructions. § 1203.7 Samples for testing. (a) General. (b) Number of samples. § 1203.8 Conditioning environments. Helmets shall be conditioned to one of the following environments prior to testing in accordance with the test schedule at § 1203.13. The barometric pressure in all conditioning environments shall be 75 to 110 kPa (22.2 to 32.6 in of Hg). All test helmets shall be stabilized within the ambient condition for at least 4 hours prior to further conditioning and testing. Storage or shipment within this ambient range satisfies this requirement. (a) Ambient condition. (b) Low temperature. (c) High temperature. (d) Water immersion. § 1203.9 Test headforms. The headforms used for testing shall be selected from sizes A, E, J, M, and O, as defined by DRAFT ISO/DIS 6220-1983, in accordance with § 1203.10. Headforms used for impact testing shall be rigid and be constructed of low-resonance K-1A magnesium alloy. § 1203.10 Selecting the test headform. A helmet shall be tested on the smallest of the headforms appropriate for the helmet sample. A headform size is appropriate for a helmet if all of the helmet's sizing pads are partially compressed when the helmet is equipped with its thickest sizing pads and positioned correctly on the reference headform. § 1203.11 Marking the impact test line. Prior to testing, the impact test line shall be determined for each helmet in the following manner. (a) Position the helmet on the appropriate headform as specified by the manufacturer's helmet positioning index (HPI), with the brow parallel to the basic plane. Place a 5-kg (11-lb) preload ballast on top of the helmet to set the comfort or fit padding. (b) Draw the impact test line on the outer surface of the helmet coinciding with the intersection of the surface of the helmet with the impact line planes defined from the reference headform as shown in: (1) Figure 4 of this part for helmets intended only for persons 5 years of age and older. (2) Figure 5 of this part for helmets intended for persons age 1 and older. (c) The center of the impact sites shall be selected at any point on the helmet on or above the impact test line. § 1203.12 Test requirements. (a) Peripheral vision. (b) Positional stability. (c) Dynamic strength of retention system. (d) Impact attenuation criteria General. (2) Peak acceleration. § 1203.13 Test schedule. (a) Helmet sample 1 of the set of eight helmets, as designated in Table 1203.13, shall be tested for peripheral vision in accordance with § 1203.14 of this standard. (b) Helmet samples 1 through 8, as designated in Table 1203.13, shall be conditioned in the ambient, high temperature, low temperature, and water immersion environments as follows: helmets 1 and 5—ambient; helmets 2 and 7—high temperature; helmets 3 and 6—low temperature; and helmets 4 and 8—water immersion. (c) Testing must begin within 2 minutes after the helmet is removed from the conditioning environment. The helmet shall be returned to the conditioning environment within 3 minutes after it was removed, and shall remain in the conditioning environment for a minimum of 2 minutes before testing is resumed. If the helmet is out of the conditioning environment beyond 3 minutes, testing shall not resume until the helmet has been reconditioned for a period equal to at least 5 minutes for each minute the helmet was out of the conditioning environment beyond the first 3 minutes, or for 4 hours, (whichever reconditioning time is shorter) before testing is resumed. (d) Prior to being tested for impact attenuation, helmets 1-4 (conditioned in ambient, high temperature, low temperature, and water immersion environments, respectively) shall be tested in accordance with the dynamic retention system strength test at § 1203.16. Helmets 1-4 shall then be tested in accordance with the impact attenuation tests on the flat and hemispherical anvils in accordance with the procedure at § 1203.17. Helmet 5 (ambient-conditioned) shall be tested in accordance with the positional stability tests at § 1203.15 prior to impact testing. Helmets 5-8 shall then be tested in accordance with the impact attenuation tests on the curbstone anvil in accordance with § 1203.17. Table 1203.13 summarizes the test schedule. Table 1203.13—Test Schedule § 1203.14 Peripheral vision § 1203.15 Positional stability § 1203.16 Retention system strength § 1203.17 Impact tests Anvil Number of Impacts Helmet 1, Ambient X X X Flat 2 Helmet 2, High Temperature X X Flat 2 Helmet 3, Low Temperature X X Flat 2 Helmet 4, Water Immersion X X Flat 2 Helmet 5, Ambient X X Curb 1 Helmet 6, Low Temperature X Curb 1 Helmet 7, High Temperature X Curb 1 Helmet 8, Water Immersion X Curb 1 § 1203.14 Peripheral vision test. Position the helmet on a reference headform in accordance with the HPI and place a 5-kg (11-lb) preload ballast on top of the helmet to set the comfort or fit padding. ( Note: § 1203.15 Positional stability test (roll-off resistance). (a) Test equipment Headforms. (2) Test fixture. (3) Dynamic impact apparatus. (4) Strap or cable. (b) Test procedure. (2) Place the helmet on the appropriate size full chin headform in accordance with the HPI and fasten the retention system in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Adjust the straps to remove any slack. (3) Suspend the dynamic impact system from the helmet by positioning the flexible strap over the helmet along the midsagittal plane and attaching the hook over the edge of the helmet as shown in Figure 7 of this part. (4) Raise the drop weight to a height of 0.6 m (2 ft) from the stop anvil and release it, so that it impacts the stop anvil. (5) The test shall be repeated with the headform's face pointing upwards, so that the helmet is pulled from front to rear. § 1203.16 Dynamic strength of retention system test. (a) Test equipment. (2) The retention system strength test equipment shall consist of a dynamic impact apparatus that allows a 4-kg (8.8-lb) drop weight to slide in a guided free fall to impact a rigid stop anvil (see Figure 8 of this part). Two cylindrical rollers that spin freely, with a diameter of 12.5±0.5 mm (0.49 in.±0.02 in.) and a center-to-center distance of 76.0±1 mm (3.0±0.04 in.), shall make up a stirrup that represents the bone structure of the lower jaw. The entire dynamic test apparatus hangs freely on the retention system. The entire mass of the support assembly, including the 4-kg (8.8-lb) drop weight, shall be 11 kg±0.5 kg (24.2 lb±1.1 lb). (b) Test procedure. (2) Mark the pre-test position of the retention system, with the entire dynamic test apparatus hanging freely on the retention system. (3) Raise the 4-kg (8.8-lb) drop weight to a height of 0.6 m (2 ft) from the stop anvil and release it, so that it impacts the stop anvil. (4) Record the maximum elongation of the retention system during the impact. A marker system or a displacement transducer, as shown in Figure 8 of this part, are two methods of measuring the elongation. § 1203.17 Impact attenuation test. (a) Impact test instruments and equipment Measurement of impact attenuation. 2 2 (2) Accelerometer. (3) Headform and drop assembly—centers of gravity. (4) Drop assembly. (5) Impact anvils. i.e., (i) Flat anvil. (ii) Hemispherical anvil. (iii) Curbstone anvil. (b) Test Procedure Instrument system check (precision and accuracy). 1/4 (2) Impact sites. (3) Impact velocity. (4) Helmet position. (5) Data. Subpart B—Certification § 1203.30 Purpose, basis, and scope. (a) Purpose. (b) Basis. (c) Scope. § 1203.31 Applicability date. All bicycle helmets manufactured on or after March 11, 1999, must meet the standard and must be certified as complying with the standard in accordance with this subpart B. § 1203.32 Definitions. The following definitions shall apply to this subpart: (a) Foreign manufacturer (b) Manufacturer (c) Private labeler (d) Production lot (e) Reasonable testing program § 1203.33 Certification testing. (a) General. (b) Reasonable testing program. (1) Within the requirements set forth in this paragraph (b), manufacturers and importers may define their own reasonable testing programs. Reasonable testing programs may, at the option of manufacturers and importers, be conducted by an independent third party qualified to perform such testing programs. However, manufacturers and importers are responsible for ensuring compliance with all requirements of the standard in subpart A of this part. (2) As part of the reasonable testing program, the bicycle helmets shall be divided into production lots, and sample bicycle helmets from each production lot shall be tested. Whenever there is a change in parts, suppliers of parts, or production methods, and the change could affect the ability of the bicycle helmet to comply with the requirements of the standard, the manufacturer shall establish a new production lot for testing. (3) The Commission will test for compliance with the standard by using the standard's test procedures. However, a reasonable testing program need not be identical to the tests prescribed in the standard. (4) If the reasonable testing program shows that a bicycle helmet may not comply with one or more requirements of the standard, no bicycle helmet in the production lot can be certified as complying until sufficient actions are taken that it is reasonably likely that no noncomplying bicycle helmets remain in the production lot. All identified noncomplying helmets in the lot must be destroyed or altered by repair, redesign, or use of a different material or component, to the extent necessary to make them conform to the standard. (5) The sale or offering for sale of a bicycle helmet that does not comply with the standard is a prohibited act and a violation of section 19(a) of the CPSA (15 U.S.C. 2068(a)), regardless of whether the bicycle helmet has been validly certified. § 1203.34 Product certification and labeling by manufacturers (including importers). (a) Form of permanent label of certification. (b) Contents of certification label. (1) The statement “Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets for Persons Age 5 and Older” or “Complies with U.S. CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets for Persons Age 1 and Older (Extended Head Coverage)”, as appropriate; this label may spell out “U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission” instead of “U.S. CPSC”; (2) The name of the U.S. manufacturer or importer responsible for issuing the certificate or the name of a private labeler; (3) The address of the U.S. manufacturer or importer responsible for issuing the certificate or, if the name of a private labeler is on the label, the address of the private labeler; (4) The name and address of the foreign manufacturer, if the helmet was manufactured outside the United States; (5) The telephone number of the U.S. manufacturer or importer responsible for issuing the certificate or, if the name of a private labeler is on the label, the telephone number of the private labeler; (6) An identification of the production lot; and (7) The uncoded month and year the product was manufactured. (c) Coding. (i) The person or firm issuing the certificate maintains a written record of the meaning of each symbol used in the code, and (ii) The record shall be made available to the distributor, retailer, consumer, and Commission upon request. (2) A serial number may be used in place of a production lot identification on the helmet if it can serve as a code to identify the production lot. If a bicycle helmet is manufactured for sale by a private labeler, and if the name of the private labeler is on the certification label, the name of the manufacturer or importer issuing the certificate, and the name and address of any foreign manufacturer, may also be in code. (d) Placement of the label(s). (e) Additional provisions for importers General. (i) The importer is a resident of the United States or has a resident agent in the United States, (ii) There are records of such tests required by § 1203.41 of subpart C of this part, and (iii) Such records are available to the Commission within 48 hours of a request to the importer. (2) Responsibility of importers. Subpart C—Recordkeeping § 1203.40 Effective date. This subpart is effective March 10, 1999, and applies to bicycle helmets manufactured after that date. § 1203.41 Recordkeeping requirements. (a) General. (b) Records of helmet tests. (1) An identification of the bicycle helmets tested; (2) An identification of the production lot; (3) The results of the tests, including the precise nature of any failures; (4) A description of the specific actions taken to address any failures; (5) A detailed description of the tests, including the helmet positioning index (HPI) used to define the proper position of the helmet on the headform; (6) The manufacturer's name and address; (7) The model and size of each helmet tested; (8) Identifying information for each helmet tested, including the production lot for each helmet; (9) The environmental condition under which each helmet was tested, the duration of the helmet's conditioning, the temperatures in each conditioning environment, and the relative humidity and temperature of the laboratory; (10) The peripheral vision clearance; (11) A description of any failures to conform to any of the labeling and instruction requirements; (12) Performance impact results, stating the precise location of impact, type of anvil used, velocity prior to impact, and maximum acceleration measured in g's; (13) The results of the positional stability test; (14) The results of the dynamic strength of retention system test; (15) The name and location of the test laboratory; (16) The name of the person(s) who performed the test; (17) The date of the test; and (18) The system check results. (c) Format for records. Subpart D—Requirements For Bicycle Helmets Manufactured From March 17, 1995, Through March 10, 1999 Link to an amendment published at 91 FR 46267, July 23, 2026. § 1203.51 Purpose and basis. The purpose and basis of this subpart is to protect bicyclists from head injuries by ensuring that bicycle helmets comply with the requirements of appropriate existing voluntary standards, as provided in 15 U.S.C. 6004(a). § 1203.52 Scope and effective date. (a) This subpart D is effective March 17, 1995, except for § 1203.53(a)(8), which is effective March 10, 1998. This subpart D shall apply to bicycle helmets manufactured from March 17, 1995, through March 10, 1999, inclusive. Such bicycle helmets shall comply with the requirements of one of the standards specified in § 1203.53. This subpart shall be considered a consumer product safety standard issued under the Consumer Product Safety Act. (b) The term “bicycle helmet” is defined at § 1203.4(b). (c) These interim mandatory safety standards will not apply to bicycle helmets manufactured after March 10, 1999. Those helmets are subject to the requirements of Subparts A through C of this part 1203. § 1203.53 Interim safety standards. (a) Bicycle helmets must comply with one or more of the following standards. The standards in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(7) of this section are incorporated herein by reference: (1) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Z90.4-1984, Protective Headgear for Bicyclists, (2) ASTM standards F 1447-93 or F 1447-94, Standard Specification for Protective Headgear Used in Bicycling, incorporating the relevant provisions of ASTM F 1446-93 or ASTM F 1446-94, Standard Test Methods for Equipment and Procedures Used in Evaluating the Performance Characteristics of Protective Headgear, respectively, (3) Canadian Standards Association standard, Cycling Helmets—CAN/CSA-D113.2-M89, (4) Snell Memorial Foundation (Snell) 1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling (designation B-90), (5) Snell 1990 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Bicycling, including March 9, 1994 Supplement (designation B-90S), (6) Snell 1994 Standard for Protective Headgear for Use in Non-Motorized Sports (designation N-94), or (7) Snell 1995 standard for Protective Headgear for Use with Bicycles B-95. (8) Subparts A through C of this part 1203. (b) The incorporation by reference of the standards listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(7) are approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. Copies of the standards may be obtained as follows. Copies of the ANSI Z90.4 standard are available from: American National Standards Institute, 11 W. 42nd Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Copies of the ASTM standards are available from: ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. Copies of the Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA-D113.2-M89 standard are available from: CSA, 178 Rexdale Boulevard, Rexdale (Toronto), Ontario, Canada, M9W 1R3. Copies of the Snell standards are available from: Snell Memorial Foundation, Inc., 6731-A 32nd Street, North Highlands, CA 95660. Copies may be inspected at the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html. Figure 1 to Part 1203—Anatomical Planes Figure 2 to Part 1203—ISO Headform-Basic, Reference, and Median Planes Figure 3 to Part 1203—Location of Reference Plane Figure 4 to Part 1203—Location of Test Lines for Helmets Intended for Persons Five (5) Years of Age and Older Figure 5 to Part 1203—Location of Test Lines for Helmets Intended for Persons Ages 1 and Older Figure 6 to Part 1203—Field of Vision Figure 7 to Part 1203—Typical Test Apparatus for Positional Stability Test Figure 8 to Part 1203—Apparatus for Test of Retention System Strength Figure 9 to Part 1203—Impact Test Apparatus Figure 10 to Part 1203—Center of Gravity for Drop Assembly Figures 11, 12 and 13 to Part 1203—Hemispherical Anvil and Curbstone Anvil