Steelbird Hi-tech India (SBHT) has announced a new "Blauer BET" helmet line. The most notable feature of the Blauer BET helmet is that it complies with the new European safety standard "ECE 22.06". It is also worth noting that the new European safety standard ECE 22.06 will be mandatory in India and around the world in January 2024.
With the launch of the Blauer BET series, Steelbird will be among the first brands to support the initiative by releasing these helmets with new safety standards ahead of their launch in India. ECE 22.05 was replaced with ECE 22.06 in June 2020.
The changes affect impact testing and how impacts occur. Currently, the weight that hits the helmet is generated at a pre-set speed, affecting the front, top, rear, side, and chin guard. The new standard adds not only the centerline but also other impact points that differ from each other for each sample.
The new regulations will come into effect from January 2024, which gives manufacturers time to come up with new standards. Once the regulations are implemented, riders can wear their ECE 22.05 helmet legally, and any new helmet supplied by a manufacturer to a distributor or retailer will also have to be certified as ECE 22.06.