The FMVSS 218 (DOT) standard applies to all motorcycle helmets for use in the USA; the Snell Memorial Foundation promulgates M85, M90 as optional standards of higher performance. DOT and Snell standards have contradicting requirements which affect compliance with the DOT standard, and affect consumer access and affordability. Thirty-six current helmets were tested to the most critical parts of DOT and Snell M85 standards. Another thirty current helmets were tested on the most commonly encountered impact surfaces, recording test performance and structural characteristics. There is deviation from compliance with the DOT standard by a large number of helmets, and significant deviation from compliance by helmets supposedly qualified to Snell standards. The competing requirements cause high-energy Snell helmets to fail DOT dwell time limits, which relates questionable advantage for the most typical accident impacts. At high energy single impacts, DOT helmets perform as well as Snell qualified helmets.