The state House of Representatives April 30 unanimously passed legislation, introduced by House Republican Leader Themis Klarides and State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, which will provide consumers with better information regarding the safety of sports helmets. Klarides’s district includes parts of Orange.
The bill was subsequently adopted unanimously May 9 by the state Senate.
The Klarides sisters brought the legislation forward after Jason Klein of Force3 Pro Gear, a local Derby business, expressed his frustration that his company and others were unable to share their helmet safety test results with the public.
According to Klein, sports safety helmets are tested by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. The NOCSAE helmet standard uses a pass/fail threshold to determine whether a helmet meets the standard performance criteria. The NOCSAE pass/fail threshold is 1200 Severity Index units, or SI. A helmet must test below 1200 SI in all 16 designated and random impact locations, including impacts at a helmet in ambient, high and low temperatures.
Klein said in testimony, “There’s been no place for an athlete or parent seeking helmet safety information to turn and no way for them to compare results with other helmets currently on the market.”
Klarides and Klarides-Ditria said in a joint statement, ‘Helmet manufacturers should be able to tell the public that their protective equipment is tested and safe. We want to thank Jason for bringing this forward. This legislation will keep athletes of all ages safe.”
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Derby business owner Jason Klein, and House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. Contributed photo.