Last fall we published a blog post with tips about How to Stay Safe on Your Motorcycle This Year. Today we are going to dive a bit deeper and focus on protective gear while you are riding your motorcycle. Part of the thrill of riding a bike is feeling that connection with the world around you as travel down the road. But to be safe on a motorcycle you need to cover your body with safety gear that will protect you as much as possible if you should end up in a motorcycle crash.

Preventing injury on a motorcycle

Given how exposed your body is when you are riding on a motorcycle, wearing protective gear is the only way to prevent or mitigate injuries in case of a crash. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)   reports that motorcycle helmets that comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 (FMVSS No. 218) have proven to be effective in preventing fatal injuries for motorcycle riders.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a brochure that illustrates the different types of personal protective gear available for motorcycle riders.

Helmets are the first and most important piece of safety equipment being the helmet that complies with FMVSS 218. The helmet protects your head in four ways, according to the MSF:

• The outer shell protects your head from penetrating objects
• The shell also protects the head from abrasions if it should hit the pavement
• The liner of the helmet has shock-absorbing qualities that absorb the shock from a collision and collapse slowly
• The foam liner of the helmet keeps the head comfortable and the helmet fitting snugly on your head

Just as any other helmet, the motorcycle helmet is designed and manufactured to protect your soft, malleable brain inside your skull from the tremendous forces in a crash that could result in traumatic brain injury.

Other important pieces of motorcycle safety equipment include:

• Face shields provide protection from the sun, but also from the glare of vehicle lights at night. They keep the insects out of your eyes and mouth (ugh!) and protect your face from wind and flying road debris.
• Gloves protect hands from cuts and abrasions, sun, wind and cold.
• Jackets, pants and riding suits provide comfort and protection for your body against the elements and in the event of a crash can prevent road rash and soft tissue injuries.
• Hearing protection. Foam earplugs can help protect your ears from wind noise and engine noise, but they still allow you to hear.

A 2013 research study published in Emergency Medicine International examines, Roles of Motorcycle Type and Protective Clothing in Motorcycle Crash Injuries. The study evaluated the efficiency of protective clothing for preventing injuries. Study participants were patients who had been involved in motorcycle crashes and admitted to the emergency department. Researchers found that while protective clothing did not protect the motorcycle riders from fractures, helmets protected riders from head and facial injuries and motorcycle jackets, pants and boots protected riders against soft-tissue injuries.

Motorcycle riders who have been injured in a collision may want to discuss their case with a Knoxville motorcycle accident attorney who also rides motorcycles. We listen with an empathetic ear and we fight for fair compensation when your injuries are the result of someone else’s negligence.

Motorcycle injuries can be devastating to say the least. Motorcycle riders are completely vulnerable to injury and death from the other motor vehicles with whom they share the roadway. If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle crash, you may wonder about how you can recover compensation from the negligent party that caused the collision. For more information, contact the Knoxville motorcycle accident attorneys at Banks & Jones, or call 865-546-2141 to schedule a free consultation. We fight on behalf motorcycle riders in Knoxville and throughout the Volunteer State.