Frequently Asked Questions

You… you are the one who will definitely benefit from having a helmet safety check. If you wear a helmet, whether it is for the road or track, or for any other sport (equestrian, snow sports, etc), then it’s you who benefits. It’s you, knowing & having the peace of mind of it being safe & free from any potential defects in your helmet.

However, if your helmet were to be identified as being compromised & you were to replace the old helmet with a brand new helmet, then not only is it you who benefits by having a brand new helmet, but it is your family & friends who benefit knowing you did everything possible to prevent a TBI or even death.

Yes…. Upon placing an order at The Helmet Doctors, you can request an email from us to provide the latest update on who is providing the best postal package for your delivery. This email will detail clear instructions for your express post label for direct transit to our nearest regional service center using our recommended courier services. 

Or, …. You may simply wish to save any postage outlays by personally taking your helmet directly to our nearest regional service center or participating motorcycle store near you.

Yes, … Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it.  

The Helmet Doctors are huge supporters of shopping locally & supporting your local store of choice. In fact by using our “Find a Store” service, we are able to guide you to all of the local stores near you. After identifying your preferred choice of local store, The Helmet Doctors will communicate & support the transit requirements with that store & return it back to that store upon completion of our laser scanning service.

By shopping & supporting your local store, it strengthens & allows the Motorcycling & Motorsport Industry to better support you, the local riders/drivers & clubs in your community. 

Yes, …. Generally speaking most courier services provide a significant level of insurance cover during the delivery process, regardless if it is going from or to our nearest centralised service center.

This simply means, upon collection of your helmet booking by the courier service you choose or if its after you have personally delivered it to your local store, your helmet is insured either on its way to us or returning to its original collection point.

This means, if your helmet is visually damaged, lost or stolen, it will be replaced, to the replacement value of the same make & model helmet available.

• Our Laser Scanning technique consists of 9 inspection points, ensuring quality control to obtain multiple visual points of each inspection point of your helmet.
• A holographic baseline image of your helmet is automatically created upon methodically laser scanning each of the 9 inspection points.
• Once completed, we apply a very small amount of non-destructive heat to your helmet.
• If a structural defect/damage exists at any of our 9 inspection points, this surface area containing the defect will have expanded & contracted at a different rate from the rest of the material your helmet is made of.
• Our Patented Laser Scanning instrument identifies, reads & records these minute changes in the shell’s behavior as it expands & contracts.
• These changes, should they exist, are flagged by our algorithm and then passed on to our laser scanning technicians for verification.

No more than 2-3 degrees centigrade & for no longer than 5-10 seconds. In fact, having your helmet resting on your bike & exposed to direct sunlight will significantly put more heat & for longer periods of time onto your helmet’s ambient temperature.  

This simply demonstrates how sensitive our laser instruments are when searching for defective/anomalies within the structural integrity of your helmet. 

Our Patented laser technology & technique can identify, read, record & measure 100,000 more than the human eye. Our Patented equipment scientifically sees as small as 10 nanometers (nm). This is as small as measuring viruses. 

Our technology & technique places The Helmet Doctors as recognised industry leaders by the Non-Destructive Testing community and also by the Motorcycling & Motorsport industry.

We are scientifically recognised as being 10x more advanced in our ability to identify defects when comparing any other helmet inspection service.

This is why we are the only service provider that is able to not only identify, read, record & measure the helmet’s structural integrity but we are able to scientifically see damage caused to the outer layer of the EPS foam.

The short answer is YES, although we’ve all done it at some point, & we have all felt that sickening frustration caused by dropping your helmet, however, instead of remaining unsure as to whether your helmet has now been structurally compromised, our advice is to have your helmet laser scanned for potential defects. 

The reason why? …. It is NOT for our financial gain. 

It is for your Safety & Peace of Mind.

As we know, it’s been well documented that helmets are designed with a limited lifespan & are designed for a once only impact. 

Why? … because the helmet is unable to provide 100% of its designed ability to disburse the energy away from the brain on a compromised helmet on the next impact… & everyone in their right mind would never use a helmet that has been structurally damaged.  

So, … the issue here is, although a helmet may or may not normally result in having a structural defect from a short drop, it has also been seen & well documented, that a small drop may in fact have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Our advice will always be safety first & it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

The Helmet Doctors – Patented Laser Scanning Service is only $48 AUD* per helmet scanned.

This excludes any Federal, State or local Government taxes applicable in your local area/country. This also excludes any

*courier services if they were required.

*An all-inclusive, individual return courier fee will be calculated at checkout, along with all available options of courier service providers. 

**Some local motorcycle stores may also apply an added courier service due to remote & extra travel distances. 

***All costs are subject to potential change in AUD rates, inflation & increases Cost of Goods Sold.

#Please, … check first with The Helmet Doctors Administration team on who will provide our services without applying an add-on courier service fee.

PLEASE – Note a complete & final transparent cost will always be fully disclosed upon check out of our cart when booking in your helmet.

After scanning your helmet, the data is processed & assessed by our specialised, industry certified, trained technicians who will be able to scientifically determine if the structural integrity of your helmet presents a defect/deformation within the helmet, caused by an impact. 

At this point we will be able to notify you either directly or by your local Motorcycle Store of the results of your helmet with a Certified Certificate confirming either a Pass or Fail.

This Certified Certificate will be industry recognised & valid for a period of 12 months only & with the exception of an updated annual scan or immediately after any accident or accidental drop/impact of the helmet within that 12 month period.

This Certified Certificate does not warrant any formal safety guarantee by The Helmet Doctors, the Motorcycling or Motorsport Industry, supporting partners or any industry leaders of the Non-Destructive testing community against an unwarranted TBI’s or premature death, but is merely a recognised Certificate noting your helmets structural integrity either Passed or Failed from it’s previous use. 

Previous use does not guarantee or determine the outcome of any future risk or event the helmet may be subject to. 

The Helmet Doctors advises this Certificate is for general use only, will adhere to existing industry safety standards & guidelines and will support more than 1 scan per year if further industry standards are required. 

Please note … If the helmet is used for competition purposes or is actively being used for more than just general use then it is strongly suggested that by having more than one scan per year you are mathematically & significantly decreasing your exposure & risks of using a potentially defective helmet. This alone will help save lives and reduce TBI’s world wide.

After receiving a fail result from The Helmet Doctors, we will always advise you to physically cut off the D-ring strap off your helmet. 

This ensures you, your family or any of your friends will be protected from accidentally reusing a defective helmet.

However, if for some reason this cutting off the strap did not happen & someone was unfortunately involved in an accident resulting in a TBI or premature death, whilst using this same helmet, then you could be potentially exposed to a significant law suit.

Or, if it’s you, your insurance service provider may find your actions negligible for not taking the appropriate measures to ensure & prevent a potentially preventable outcome.

So, … Although we have no authority or control if you decide to action our advice, we do hope you recognise the potential dangers involved by not cutting the D-ring strap.

Although it would be most unusual to be second guessing the premise of 49+ years of the Non-Destructive Testing Industry & its long history of scientific-based evidence, resulting in how and why our Certified Certificate has been determined as a Pass or Fail, it is something we have been asked and would like to accommodate any possible concerns.

So, …. Because of this, The Helmet Doctors have gained the support of passionate & endless knowledge from the elites in their fields across the Aeronautical & Spatial industry, the Non-Destructive Testing Industry & the Universities that specialise & nurture future R&D in these fields. 

What this means, is our laser scanning technology can be explained & demonstrated by us providing a number of scientific reports, peer reviewed which detail the pioneers, their marvels & evolution since the primary birth/invention of our technology by Yau Y. Hung and Charles E. Taylor in 1973 right through to today’s latest advancements in this field.

However, these scientific documented reports, recognised by many universities around the world of how we came to this point, will require some time to formulate and produce, along with a fee for service for their time.

For more information on this, please formally request such services via our contact us tab.

Although we can see, identify & measure different levels of damage to a helmet, The Helmet Doctors will never qualify or quantify any damage as suitable damage. 

It is at this point we will publicly state, damage is damage and as per helmet manufacturing guidelines unless the helmet is 100% free of any structural damage within the scope and use of our technology & technique we are equipped with, we will always advise to decommission a damaged helmet.

However, we do recognise that some helmets are far more expensive and may have more sentimental value than others, we also recognise that some helmet owners might find it worthwhile to have their helmet reassessed by the helmet manufacturer.

We are 100% OK with that & we will even assist you & your helmet manufacturer in the process. 

Our commitment to providing a safer riding/driving environment within the Motorcycling & Motorsport Community is we will provide a copy of the scientific base report & results directly to the helmet manufacturer. We hope by providing such detailed information they can be assisted with a clearer picture in their decision making of potentially re-commissioning & deeming their own helmet as suitable for reuse.

# Please note … generally speaking, due to economies of scale this exercise of potentially having a helmet re-commissioned by the helmet manufacturer would only be worth while for the most expensive of helmets and if only the damage was deemed by the manufacturer as fixable. 

# Please also note … The Helmet Doctors advise you seek advice & determine potential outlays from your helmet manufacturer before engaging such services.

Yes … Absolutely, don’t waste your money having it scanned. 

The Helmet Doctors will always advise, if a helmet has experienced a known impact, (ie you experienced concussion etc) if it’s obvious your helmet has damage, then save your money & put that money towards a new helmet, because most likely we will see the damage anyway.

However, if there is any doubt or uncertainty as to did I, or did I not hit my helmet? Did I, or did I not roll out of that incident without impacting my helmet? Then yes we can assist.

This is different for everyone? Why? 

Because we all have different tolerances to the risks we naturally face whilst enjoying our love of riding/driving competitively or simply enjoying the passion for recreational use.

As previously stated – The Helmet Doctors recommends having your helmet scanned (as a bear minimum) once a year, if your helmet is used for general use only. However, if during that year you are subject to an incident of any kind of impact, dropping it from the bike/car or garage self while stationary then of course we advise to have them re-scanned.

But as you can imagine, for those who use their helmet weekly, competitively and or for more than your regular recreational events, those particular helmets will be subject to more likely events of impacts that you may not even be aware of. 

So, … for people in this category, they might have more peace of mind having their helmet scanned twice a year yet a similar person with a less tolerance to these risks might like to have their helmet scanned quarterly. It really depends on the owner. 

There is no right or wrong answer.

The only thing The Helmet Doctors will say is, by having your helmet scanned regularly, you are significantly increasing your chances of identifying a potential defect which may just save your life. 

This alone will exponentially increase your protection and give you the peace of mind that your helmet has not been structurally compromised.

This all depends on when & how you decide to place an order. 

It really depends on if you are comfortable handing over your helmet to be privately couriered or if you are more comfortable just handing it over to your local motorcycle store or if you prefer to personally take it in directly to your nearest central laser scanning stations for collection.

So let’s consider the fastest & safest way first for those that cannot do without having their helmets. 

The fastest & safest way is to book & register your helmet online, then once completed The Helmet Doctors will be able to identify when & where your nearest centralised regional scanning station is located. After identifying your location it would then be ideal for you to arrive with your helmet the day before we arrive for scanning (by 3 pm). By this time your helmet will have enough time to have been formally registered tagged & ready for scanning. 

Once the helmet has been scanned on the following day you should have your helmet back & ready for collection within a 24 hour period (by 3 pm). 

However, this 24 hour period can be extended out to a 2-3 day period if you rely on courier pick up and drop off services or it may be that your preferred local motorcycle store provider requires an extra day or two to take it directly to our centralised scanning station on your behalf or they themselves may use our group courier service.

At worst, you should only be expecting a 3-4 business day turnaround, ensuring you meet pick-up and delivery deadlines.  

For those who aren’t reliant on their helmet every single day, for those who may only need their helmets on certain weekends, or for those who may have access to another helmet while their own helmet is being scanned, we recommend doing what is most appropriate to your budget & comfort level when it comes to your motorcycle helmet.

Essentially, this is correct.

The Helmet Doctors have been primarily set up, specifically designed for the safety of riders/drivers in the Motorcycle & Motorsport Industries. 

However, we are very much aware that many other industries also use motorcycle helmets as part of their safety requirements in their endeavour for added safety – ie Downhill Mountain Biking, Freestyle, Half pipe & BMX racing, Downhill skateboarding, snow sports and also many water sports just to name a few. 

In fact any industry that also uses motorcycle helmets as part of their safety requirements we can help & improve their safety requirements, immediately. 

We are even able to assist a lot of the American Gridiron helmets as well.

Also, it has clearly been identified that because our technology & technique assesses the actual material of the helmet by a factor of 10x compared to any other laser scanning service, we would also be any industries preferred choice for all helmet safety requirements in the Fire & Rescue Services, Police Services and also Military Services for all your OH&S requirements (Occupational Health & Safety). 

For more information on why and how we are able to assist and improve your industry safety requirements please contact us via our Contact Us details.

At the moment, No, they do not.  

However as major advocates for your safety, The Helmet Doctors has already taken measures to ensure the Motorcycling & Motorsport Industry recognise this added safety measure so that the Motorcycling & Motorsport Industry leaders can speak as one voice to the required insurance companies to incentivise you to have your helmet scanned. 

Our hope is to see you be rewarded or incentives by having reduced premiums or even discounted helmet scans for your loyalty towards safety. 

In short, ….. Yes.

How do we do it? 

Well, … that is a very guarded trade secret, but lets just say it is only because we have the most advanced laser scanning technology & technique in the industry, we are industry recognised with aeronautical & spatial credentials and patented approved for specific design & use on Motorcycle and Motorsport helmets. We are able to see down to as low as 10nm (nanometers) which is as small as a virus. Where as others can only see to 100nm. This 100nm equates to being mathematically 10x less than our cutting edge capabilities. 

No this is impossible. EPS is made from a pressure-moulding process, which does not use any resins.

No … All helmets are unique in the way they are designed, structurally formulated & constructed by various manufacturers and all are subject to a variety of different environmental & non-environmental conditions which are all influencing the natural ageing process of a helmet. This is why most helmet manufacturers identify their helmets only have a 5 to 7 year life span from date of purchase or date of manufacture.

So, …. If you receive a ‘Pass’ on our Certified Certificate, and there’s no visible evidence of a compromised EPS liner, our expert advice is that your helmet will remain fit for use at the point we have inspected it, subject to being re-scanned within the next 12 months (for general use only) & subject to re-scanning upon any incidents or accidental drops from a bike or shelf and only until the recommended 5 to 7 year term. 

The Helmet Doctors advises any extension to any 5 year lifespan term (date of purchase) should only ever be made with considerable consultation by an authorised technician of the original helmet manufactures.

We have deliberately held off the launched our services across the world due to the current health restrains & economic conditions the Pandemic has presented since 2019.

However, now that it appears we are getting on top of COVID 19 and it appears all governmental departments are wanting to reopen their economic activities as we learn to live with COVID 19, we are now well positioned to be discussing how The Helmet Doctors are able to provide you with a business model of support and clientele in your own local area. 

If you would like to learn more, please feel free to reach out so we can organise a face to face discussion via Google Meet, Zoom, Skype or Microsoft Teams.

Yes, absolutely.

However, although our services are advanced enough to be able to bring the technology and technique to your local area, please remember we operate in laboratory conditions and will generally only be there one designated day of the week. 

Also, ….due to the hyper sensitivity nature of our laser scanning equipment to read as low as 10nm we will not be able to discuss, display or invite you to inspect our equipment. 

But yes we do welcome you to our laser scanning location where you will be assisted by the local motorcycle store, educated and invited to discuss all the various safety features & benefits of the most recent motorcycle helmets on offer today. 

Remember, if you choose to personally drop off your helmet, we will also require you to pick it up your helmet from the same location upon completion of our services at a convenient time that suits you & within normal business trading hours of store.

Generally speaking, no.

Why?

Because thermoplastic helmets are generally to be considered a much cheaper helmet to manufacture than those made of composite materials like fiberglass etc. so even though thermoplastic helmets will be required to meet the same safety standard set by the government & industry regulatory requirements, why would you pay for a $48 AUD scan when these helmets could cost as little as $100 AUD to replace it?

However, I would say Yes to the more expensive thermoplastic helmets made from Poly-carbonate or Blended Poly-carbonate that include other materials. Such helmets are typically over $200 to buy and are economically viable.

It is a personal choice, but industry wide, it is considered to be a preferred option as they will generally be lighter, more comfortable and claim to have spent more resources in R&D in the way a helmet will protect your brain by dissipating & disbursing the energy away from the brain.

From a professional point of view, The Helmet Doctors always recommend buying the best possible helmet you can comfortably afford, which meets the required industry safety standards and has a long history of demonstrating advancements in technology for design & engineering.

Not all helmets are made from composite materials, but most will be using Fiberglass, Kevlar, Carbon fiber or a combination of these blends. They are widely used because of their superior weight to strength ratio with the ability to dissipate the impact energy away & evenly around the outer shell of the helmet. 

Most budget helmets are more commonly associated with thermoplastics, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), Poly-carbonates &  or a compound that are a blend of both.

The easiest way to identify the materials used in your helmets, is to refer to your helmets manufacturing guide upon purchasing the helmet or you will generally find these details listed inside the helmet tagged to the comfort padding of your washable liners. However, if like most people these details have been worn away, due to normal usage and washing your helmet please Google search your helmets make & model for more details. 

Gift Cards are the traditional style of gifting at your local shopping store (looks like a credit card), where you have handed over payment in exchange for a card with the stored value. Gift Cards must also be redeemed within 12 months of purchase.

An e-Gift Voucher is an electronic voucher, usually on paper that has a dollar value in exchange for the product or service purchased.

You will find the use & terminology of these words are often incorrectly used, but generally speaking most companies provide a gift certificate for a specific experience only. It’s normally valid for a limited time & does not show a dollar value on the certificate. Our gift certificates are valid for 12 months.

But, a gift voucher is provided for a particular dollar value. A gift voucher is an excellent form of gifting to someone whom you wish to provide a dollar value in goods or services to a friend or family member. Gift vouchers are normally valid for a longer period of time. Our gift vouchers are valid for 3 years.

“Gift certificate” means a written promise given in exchange for full or discounted payment, or without any money or other thing of value being given in exchange, to provide merchandise in a specified amount or of equal value to the bearer of the certificate.