If you ride a motorcycle, you know coming off will hurt or could be fatal. It is easy to forget, though. When the thermometer is soaring, it can seem a hassle to put on your heavy, sweaty, protective clothing. Yet, you should always wear these items of clothing, whatever the weather:
- A helmet: 22% of non-fatal motorcycle injuries are to heads. Wearing a helmet reduces your chance of dying by 37%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It lowers the risk of a head injury by 69%.
- Gloves: Many people do not wear gloves when warm, but consider what happens if you come off. Gloves can reduce the risk of breaking your hand, as well as avoid road rash. How are you going to type or do an intricate task with your hands if you have scraped all the skin off?
- Upper body armor: You can wear this on its own or incorporated into a jacket. There are mesh jackets available so you can still protect your chest, back and arms on a hot day. After all, desert racers wear protection.
- Trousers: 30% of injuries are to legs or feet. Motorcycle trousers slide you across the road without tearing. They are often padded or have hard armor to protect bones such as your knees and hips.
- Boots: These should stay on in a crash. Regular shoes may come off quickly. Some motorcycle boots have protection and added padding.
Wearing the right clothing is essential, but bike crashes can still cause you severe injury. However well dressed you are, you will likely need to claim compensation if in a motorcycle accident.
