Preventing Injuries-Motorcycle Safety Equipment

The importance of helmets

The most important piece of safety gear for motorcyclists and their passengers is a properly fitted helmet. Helmets are designed to cushion and protect riders' heads from the impact of a crash. Like safety belts in cars, helmets cannot provide total protection against head injury or death, but they do reduce the incidence of both. A study of 900 motorcycle crashes conducted by the University of Southern California found that wearing a helmet was the single most critical factor in preventing or reducing head and neck injuries among motorcycle drivers and passengers.

Helmets also decrease the severity of head injuries, the number of days spent in the hospital, and the overall cost of medical care after a motorcycle crash. Helmets have additional benefits: They protect eyes, preventing eye injuries, and they protect the cyclist from dust, rocks, and other debris thrown up by other vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that between 1984 and 1999 the use of helmets saved $13.2 billion in medical, rehabilitation, and disability costs. If all motorcyclists had worn helmets in those years, probable savings would have been an additional $11.1 billion.

The experience of 6 states after they enacted mandatory helmet laws speaks to the protective value of helmets. Every state has seen significant reductions in the number of fatalities in motorcycle crashes:

Choosing a safe helmet

Each year the NHTSA tests 30 or more helmets. The testing is very extensive; in 2007 the report for each helmet ran more than 30 pages. Not every make and model is tested every year, but it's worth checking to see whether your helmet, or one you're thinking of buying has been evaluated, and how it scored.

The Snell Foundation, a private foundation that promotes safe protective headgear for all sports, also tests helmets. Their rating criteria are even more rigorous than the governments, and many helmet models display their Snell approval sticker as further assurance of safety.

No matter how effective and safe your helmet is, it only protects you if you wear it.

Other important safety equipment

Protective clothing can prevent injuries and reduce the seriousness of injuries to arms and legs, hands and feet. Protective clothing includes:

Eye protection: Riders must protect their eyes against insects, dirt, rocks and other debris, and tearing and blurred vision from the wind. Most helmets have a face shield. If yours doesn't, good quality goggles or glasses with plastic or safety lenses can provide a measure of protection. Goggles, glasses, and face shields should be unscratched, shatter proof, and ventilated to prevent fog buildup. For riding at night use a clear shield, as a tinted shield reduces contrast and make it more difficult to see.

Jackets and pants: Clothing should be leather or special synthetics, tough enough to provide some protection from abrasion if you're tossed from your bike. Jackets should have long sleeves, and pants should be full length; no shorts. Avoid pants with wide bottoms or excessive fullness; don't risk your clothes getting tangled in the kick starter, foot- pegs, or the chain.

Gloves: Wear tough, non-slip gloves that give you a solid grip on the controls. Leather gloves or fabric gloves with leather palms and grip strips on the fingers get the job done. Gauntlet-type gloves keep air out of the rider's sleeves.

Footwear: Wear shoes or boots that protect feet, ankles, and your lower leg. Leather boots work best. Sturdy athletic shoes that cover the ankles are a good second choice; be sure their laces are tied and tucked, so they don't tangle with moving parts.