Safety ratings for motorcycle helmets are now being provided by the Department for Transport, it has emerged.

Motorcycle journalist Alastair Walker reported that some major manufacturers such as Arai, Shoei and AGV only received three out of five stars according to the new Safety Helmet Assessment Ratings Programme (Sharp) system.

The results have brought the system into question, with some manufacturers calling for an overhaul in the way motorcycle helmets are tested.

Spokesperson for Arai Europe Ferry Brouwer said that although the aim of the ratings is to save 50 lives a year, which is admirable, the new tests do not go far enough.

He commented: "Sharp do not look at the methods of construction, a manufacturer's track record in racing accidents say, nor do they use repeated, or random impacts."

Mr Brouwer added that it is necessary to include a penetration test of the shell into the process, as no two motorcycle accidents are the same.

Last week, motorbike riders at the Institute of Advanced Motorists bike conference said greater access to bus lanes will keep them safer on Britain's roads.