Senator Seeks Probe of Safety Claims by Football Helmet Makers

A U.S. Senator is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate “misleading safety claims and deceptive practices” in the selling of new football helmets and reconditioning of used ones.

In a letter — a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press — Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., tells FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz that helmet companies “appear to be using misleading advertising claims” and that “some helmet reconditioning companies may be falsely selling used helmets as meeting an industry safety standard.”

The letter also refers to what Udall calls “misleading marketing claims by Riddell,” maker of the NFL’s official helmet.

The New York Times first reported on the letter.