Motor Accident Commission – Gear Up

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In a motorcycle crash, regular clothing can be torn to shreds instantly leaving your body exposed to crippling injuries.
Put simply, if you’re not wearing the right gear you may as well be wearing nothing.
Riders who wear protective clothing are 40% less likely to have permanent physical injuries after a crash.
Seven out of ten riders who crash have injuries that may have been reduced or prevented by wearing the right safety gear.

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Helmet

  • 16% of head impacts are to the chin.
  • Price is not necessarily an indication of safety performance. So don’t blow your entire safety budget on just the helmet. Instead look for a helmet that fits well, is comfortable to wear and complies with Australian Safety Standards.
  • An incorrectly fitted or unsecured helmet can lead to severe brain, neck and spinal injuries.

Jacket
  • Over half of all riders sustain injuries to their upper body in a crash.
  • A properly designed motorcycle jackets will give you 4 seconds of abrasion resistance and are constructed so they wont snag or tear at the seams.
  • You might also consider wearing impact protectors for your shoulders and elbows.

Gloves
  • Without gloves your hands could become mincemeat. Gloving is as its name implies. Your skin is literally peeled away from your body like a glove. The risk of infection from road debris and other foreign bodies is high and can
    sometimes be deadly.
  • The right riding gloves will give you around 2.5 seconds of abrasion resistance.
  • Fractures and broken bones, especially in the hands and feet can leave you permanently disabled and unable to ride again.

Pants
  • Eighty one percent of riders suffer leg injuries in a crash.
  • Pants designed for motorcycle riding having an abrasion resistance of
    around 4 seconds.
  • For extra protection consider wearing impact protectors for your hips and knees.

Boots
  • Proper motorcycle boots offer greater abrasion resistance, better grip and ideally should fully enclose the foot, ankle and lower shin.
  • The correct fit is equally important.

Motor Accident Commission and Government of South Australia