Video taken from a camera in a car a few lengths back tells the story: It was a National Auto Sport Association race in the summer of 2008, and I was accelerating past the 90-mph mark down the back straight of Mid-Ohio's Thunder Valley on the way to the left-hand Turn 11. The car behind me and to the right made an attempt to swerve to my left side for an advantage under braking. He didn't have the room he thought he had, and as a result, his left front fender hit the right rear side of my bumper, causing me to crash at an angle into the barrier, spin, and hit the barrier again.What you can't see on video is that one of the bolts holding my seat to the car's unibody let go on impact, allowing my head to come into contact with the roll cage above the windshield as my car decelerated to nothing in the space of one foot. But if you wait a moment or two, you can see my Neon limping away toward pit lane at about five miles per hour. I never lost consciousness. That's what a good helmet can do for you: It can take a situation that should have put you in the morgue and turn it into a great story to tell over drinks.Note: I said good helmet.

One racing helmet that you might want to consider is the RaceQuip 253115 Gloss White Large OF15 Open Face Helmet.This particular product has earned the fifth position on this product list because it has all of the safety features that are important to race car drivers, particularly racers that race in closed cockpit vehicles.

The Snell Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit organization that certifies helmets, is in large part responsible for determining what constitutes good. Nobody doubts its commitment to safety.

Snell releases new benchmarks every five years, and its latest set of rules went into effect October 1. Compared with the SA2010 standard which preceded it, SA2015 includes additional impact tests and mandates built-in attachment points for a HANS device. Saroyan HumphreyIf you're an amateur racer in most series, you'll need a helmet that wears the SA2015 or SA2010 label.

(The SCCA says it will let drivers use an SA2005-certified helmet until January 1, 2017.) A few organizations require FIA-8860 endorsement, which calls for an outer shell made of carbon fiber or an equal-strength material. If you're just doing track days in your unmodified street car, your organization might let you get away with a helmet certified for motorcycles, but that doesn't mean it's a smart idea, since it won't have been tested for impact with a roll cage. On the other hand, not all SA2015-compliant auto helmets are good for use on your bike—many lack a wide enough field of vision to get a DOT stamp. Axis football 2016 pc download game. Saroyan HumphreyNo helmet will protect you properly if it doesn't fit. The Snell Foundation offers a simple guideline: Put the helmet on, making sure that you can see a bit of the brim or top of the eyeport when it's strapped on.

Now try to remove the helmet without loosening the strap. If you can obscure your vision by doing that, the helmet is too loose. It's worth your time to wear the helmet for several minutes to ensure that there are no uncomfortable pressure points, particularly against your jaw.Snell doesn't tier its safety standards according to price. Inexpensive lids from manufacturers like Pyrotect come by their SA2015 decals honestly. Spending more on a helmet can get you a lighter shell, better interior materials, integrated radio headsets, forced-air ventilation, and a variety of other features.

A few manufacturers even offer full-custom measurement and fabrication. But be aware that wearing a pricey, specialized helmet like a Stilo to your first track day is sort of the equivalent of taking a monogrammed briefcase to your first job interview.The SA2015-certified helmet you buy today is likely to be accepted by your track-day or racing organization for the next decade, but Snell recommends that you replace your helmet every five years or after any significant impact while wearing it. That's not limited to hitting the wall at Indy.

Although the helmet shell is quite durable and can survive, say, being dropped on a driveway, the lining is purposely designed to collapse and slow your head in a crash—a trick it'll only perform once. So choose your helmet carefully, and don't forget its ultimate purpose. Intrusion 2.

Which brings to mind another old saying: If you have a $10 head, buy a $10 helmet.