SMK Helmets announced that it has secured a 4-star safety rating for its full-face Typhoon helmet from the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP), the UK government-funded independent testing body. The Typhoon helmet retails in India starting at Rs 5,200.
What Is SHARP and How Does It Test Helmets?
The assessment makes SMK the first Indian helmet manufacturer to achieve a 4-star rating under the UK programme. Administered by the UK Department for Transport since 2007, SHARP procures off-the-shelf production helmets from UK retail outlets instead of using manufacturer-submitted units. The testing protocol subjects seven samples across various sizes to 32 impact tests, striking five head zones at velocities up to 8.5 metres per second before awarding a rating out of five stars.
"The SHARP rating is independent, public validation of our engineering approach," said Sidhartha Bhushan Khurana, Managing Director and CEO of SMK. "The Typhoon's score reflects a standard we have held ourselves to: materials, construction, and design built to perform, not just to pass minimum regulations."