Bell Youth Helmet Complies With Lead Law

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – In response to inquiries about lead content in its SC-X, Jr. youth motocorss helmet, Bell Powersports is sending dealers a letter of assurance along with a copy of the certificate of conformity proving the helmet meets new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) guidelines.

The laws, which have created a great deal of anxiety and confusion within the youth segment of the powersports industry, limit the allowable amount of lead content in children’s products, according to Bell VP of Corporate Affairs Thom Parks.

“Our engineers, quality control specialists, chemists and product managers have been working to reduce the amount of lead in all our products and coatings for more than two years and have tested and documented the results in accordance with the CPSIA,” said Parks. “As with all safety standards, Bell takes the new lead regulations very seriously and we’ve built a series of checks and balances into our quality assurance process insuring ongoing compliance.”

Bell National Sales Manager Randy George said he’s fielded a handfull of calls from dealers asking about helmets after OEMs removed youth bikes and ATVs from their sales floors.

“I hear some of the stories and it’s evident that there’s a lot of confusion out there,” said George. “The one thing I can say with certainty, however, is that dealers can continue to sell—and consumers can continue to use—the Bell SC-X, Jr. with full confidence. All Bell powersport helmets are in compliance with the CPSIA.”

The CPSIA contains sweeping guidelines made in response to high lead levels found in children’s toys over the past two years. The law requires surface coatings and substrates to have lead content of less than 600 parts per million for any product intended for children age 12 and under.