Motorcycle Gear That Protects

Does high-tech gear for motorcycle riders provide any additional protection in the event of a crash?  Beyond the unconditionally indispensable helmet, experts have discovered well-designed motorcycle jackets, pants, boots, and gloves do add protection upon impact and help in abrasion resistance.   

 

There are studies that provide documented proof of the benefits such as a paper presented to the Motorcycle Safety Forum in Sydney, Australia in 2006.  The research states that, "Although protective clothing cannot prevent injuries in a high-impact crash, most motorcycle crashes don't occur at high speed."* MAIDS (Motorcycle Accidents In-Depth Study) reports that close to 75% of motorcycle accidents happen at speeds 35 miles an hour or less and that protective clothing can make a difference.  Their statistics show body armor and appropriate gear can mitigate or even protect from serious injury.

When shopping for motorcycle clothing, keep in mind that there is a difference between off-road protective gear and that which is designed for street riding.  Off-road riding is done at lower speeds and the protective gear is specifically designed to address those types of crashes.  Since street motorcycle riders travel at much higher speeds, clothing needs to be designed to meet those situations. 

After your head, one of the important areas to protect is your back and chest and you will find an excellent selection of body armor available.  One popular choice is a protector jacket that is designed to wear under a motorcycle jacket and helps to reduce the possibility of injury to the spine, chest, neck, and major organs of the upper body.  Another option is to buy a motorcycle jacket with the body armor built directly into it.  

Bikers have long held the tradition of wearing blue jeans when riding, but unfortunately they do not provide the level of protection that is needed.  If you do not want to wear leather or synthetic pants, at least add leather chaps over your blue jeans for more protection.  A good leather motorcycle boot with a stiff rubber sole provides protection when you're moving and traction when you stop.  Some even have reinforcement in the shin, calf, and ankle areas with a strong material like Kevlar.  

And do not forget gloves.  They offer good protection for your hands, which are likely to meet the pavement in the event of a fall.  This is just a small sampling of what is available so look around until you find what works best for you.  Remember this is not a place to skimp on quality or cost.   

*Motorcycle-Accidents.com. "Motorcycle Crash Accident Statistics." 2006. (May 6, 2011)http://www.motorcycle-accidents.com/pages/stats.html

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