FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MMA Safety & Education Alert: Vega Helmet Corp recalling XTS Motorcycle Helmets
29 December 2012
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) would like all riders to be aware that Vega Helmet Corp. has announced that it is recalling more than 30,000 model XTS Helmets after testing found that some did not meet crash protection safety standards. Vega specifically identified XTS half-helmets in sizes Large, Extra Large, and XX Large produced between May 2011 and October 2012.
Safety Testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration performed earlier this year identified that four (4) Extra Large Helmets failed to pass. Vega investigated and found that the helmets fell out of compliance partially due to changes in the model's shell design. Although Vega doesn't know how many of the helmets in the effected population failed to meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard, the company is recalling all of them and informed regulators that the helmet’s design would be reconfigured immediately. Vega further said they will replace the recalled helmets. According to reports by the Associated Press, there’s no evidence that anyone has been injured because of the defective helmets.
The MMA notes that it’s unclear how many helmets beyond just these 4 were tested by NHTSA and from which manufacturers, what their pass/fail ratio was and whether other failed models were being addressed by their respective manufacturers (if any). According to reports by the Associated Press, there’s no evidence that anyone has been injured because of the defective helmets.
The MMA suggests that all riders who wear Vega XTS Half-Helmets in sizes L, XL, and XXL check the manufacturer date on the labeling inside the helmet. Further information should be available from Vega Helmet Corp. when the recall begins in Late January.
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