SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall has asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission to investigate whether safety standards for football helmets are adequate to protect players from concussions and other head injuries.
The Democratic senator made the request in a letter Tuesday to the commission’s chairman.
Udall serves on the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the commission.
In his letter, Udall said manufacturers voluntarily adopt the current safety standard, which evaluates a helmet’s ability to withstand a direct blow. But Udall said the standard doesn’t assess whether a helmet is adequate to prevent concussions from hits that spin a player’s head.
Udall also said the standard doesn’t distinguish between helmets used by younger players or those for stronger professional players.
