Why is it not compulsory to wear full leather protection while riding?

Sagalout · 10 Jul 2014 at 12:50

People put far too much faith in protective gear on the road. I own loads to be honest - 2 piece leathers (only use these on track days), good quality textiles, mesh summer textiles, kevlar jeans, back protector etc. None of this will help if I hit a tree over 60mph.

I definitely ride more carefully the less gear I'm wearing.

wazza300 · 10 Jul 2014 at 12:58

even at slow spills ive had it fetch the skin off yet the textile jacket has been untouched,idk how it manages to do that

4T5 · 10 Jul 2014 at 13:09

I wear my 2 piece leathers no matter what. Other people can do what they like. I've had a bad accident on a bike & walked myself into the Ambulance then walked myself out the hospital a few hours later.

Also came off my Ped as a kid on the way to see a Doris, Had her Mum pick bits of gravel out my leg for hours, Never again.

DanF · 10 Jul 2014 at 13:13

I think there's more injuries from going to the gym than from bikers falling off. Maybe we should force anyone going to the gym to wear yellow hardhats, strong steal toecap boots and other safety gear. Also they can't workout without supervision at all times

fines will be imposed for lifting weights too fast as you may loose control of the weight.

ElliorR · 10 Jul 2014 at 13:15

So you're saying you'd like to make all people who go to the gym into strippers?

DanF · 10 Jul 2014 at 13:17

that would work, the gym I go to has poll dancing lessons, pretty distracting when you're doing squats

ttaskmaster · 10 Jul 2014 at 16:44

I wear leathers every single day. I walk around town quite happily. I even spend most of the working day wearing them, as I can't be bothered to get changed. Incidentally, I'm still wearing my 'Winter' leathers...
Those who complain about leathers being restrictive, hot, uncomfortable, etc are simply wearing the wrong ones.

ThundyCat said:
Surely it should be compulsory to wear full body protection? Or would you disagree?

Yes indeed.
Also, make it compulsory for rider to wear full neck braces, for bikes to have these massive leg protectors along their sides, full roll cages all around them, reduce their power to 12BHP *and* install devices that instantly switch the bike off if it detects you're going too fast for what "it thinks" the local speed limit is... particularly if you're banked over in a corner.

All of this and more should be compulsory... so say the lobbyists, anyway. Have a quick browse of the MAG website and see some of the insane things people (usually those who've never ever ridden a bike either) want to slap on bikes in the name of safety.

Rossi~ said:
IMO there should be a motorcycle clothing regulation, stamped on all gear at a minimum level of protection and a law that states you must be wearing said approved gear.

Suddenly the number of bike gear shops doubles, along with the demand and consequential cost of now having to get approved-only kit...

wazza300 said:
even at slow spills ive had it fetch the skin off yet the textile jacket has been untouched,idk how it manages to do that

You wearing cotton trousers right now?
Reach down and scratch your leg as if it itches... press hard.
Did you tear your trousers open?
Unless you're Wolverine, I bet you didn't, right?

Same effect.

Woogie · 10 Jul 2014 at 17:27

Protective gear should be mandatory, Perhaps not leathers but textiles at the very least.

It is just idiotic on so many levels to get on a bike and not wear even the slightest thing that can protect you. Commuting around London I am shocked at just the sheer number of people that are riding round in suits or just normal trousers and having seen what happened to a guy who came off at about 20mph the other day I do not even want to risk it.

growse · 10 Jul 2014 at 20:12

Woogie said:
Protective gear should be mandatory, Perhaps not leathers but textiles at the very least.

It is just idiotic on so many levels to get on a bike and not wear even the slightest thing that can protect you. Commuting around London I am shocked at just the sheer number of people that are riding round in suits or just normal trousers and having seen what happened to a guy who came off at about 20mph the other day I do not even want to risk it.

Why are you so desperate to protect people from themselves? If their choice of gear doesn't affect anyone else's safety, why dictate to them what they can or can't do?

Draeger · 10 Jul 2014 at 20:41

Devils advocate..........

I'll be honest, I just simply do not understand the logic behind not being willing to wear protective gear when riding. It utterly baffles me. Fall off wearing t-shirt, flip flops and shorts and whatever way you look at it, you're leaving a fair bit of skin on the tarmac. And maybe grinding some bones into the bargain. Conversely, fall off wearing a good set of textile or leather kit plus boots and of course you are still going to run the very real risk of injury - same as the guy in the shorts will, but it will be substantially less, abrasion wise, than if you were wearing holiday clothes more suited for lounging about at the side of a pool.

I totally and utterly buy into the whole 'its my personal choice' - that's fine, as I've already alluded to I could not care one jot if you choose to ride like this. Honestly I don't. But to chose to do so simply because an individual feels that being told to wear protective kit infringes on their right to do and act as they so chose is just......well.......stupid as well as baffling. As I mentioned in my previous post I've had a huge 'get off' which almost killed me and as such I'll wear protective kit for every single ride until the cows come home, to me it's a no-brainer. I've also in my line of work attended a fair few RTC's involving bikes and hand on heart - the ones I've had the pleasure of dealing with who had protective kit on have always came out with less abrasion related injuries than the shorts and t-shirts brigade. Don't get me wrong, I've seen guys wearing £2k worth of kit on end up as fatals but that's more down to the kinematics of injury rather than what gear they had on at the time.

Just my tuppence. :cool:

acemastr · 10 Jul 2014 at 21:33

I've seen several accidents where people have come off with no gear, my dad for example low sided his bike around 30mph with a tshirt and jeans on (helmet of course), he had a square inch of rash on his shoulder (broke his shoulder socket and a rib or two(didn't go to the hospital.. american healthcare huh?))

Yet I've also seen someone come off in the same attire who has lost all the skin on most of their upper body.

Depends on the fall unfortunately.

I still ride in a tshirt and jeans here though, gloves and helmet i'll always wear.

SPG · 10 Jul 2014 at 22:51

People riding in flip-flops give me the heabe jeabys

But each to there own, odd time i will wear jeans and trainers, maybe to the gym, but rest of the time its full on 2 piece leathers, gloves and boots.

Should get some of them kevlar jeans and converse style rider boots

Also to the OP why isnt it law that when you leave the house you need to put hi viz vest on.....

Woogie · 11 Jul 2014 at 09:59

growse said:
Why are you so desperate to protect people from themselves? If their choice of gear doesn't affect anyone else's safety, why dictate to them what they can or can't do?

I could not give a crap about them, If they want to spread themselves all over the road then fair play to them. I am trying to protect the innocent bystanders who have to see this, The nurses/doctors/Ambulance techs and police who have to deal with it and the cost on the NHS it creates by having to deal with this.

Yaayuh! · 11 Jul 2014 at 10:32

Woogie said:
I could not give a crap about them, If they want to spread themselves all over the road then fair play to them. I am trying to protect the innocent bystanders who have to see this, The nurses/doctors/Ambulance techs and police who have to deal with it and the cost on the NHS it creates by having to deal with this.

Also the person's family and perhaps the driver that may of been involved. It's almost selfish in a way.

Freefaller · 11 Jul 2014 at 10:41

People don't realise that you can die from a bad case of road rash. People don't realise that you can have bits of gravel in you for years, and that you will probably need extensive skin grafts. That your mobility will be impaired, and that you will also be more sensitive to UV light and also just look awful, as well as creating a huge amount of trauma to your body.

Natural selection at work. Frankly people who don't wear the gear (whether leather or textile, that doesn't matter) are probably of the lower common denominator of intelligence.

It shouldn't be a law however. But it is selfish to not want to enhance your chances of survival or injury.

sockky · 11 Jul 2014 at 10:44

I've been to skateparks where it's mandatory to wear a helmet, trousers (no shorts) and a t-shirt, all in the name or protection. Yet you can ride your bike in a pair of shorts with no top on.

I do think it should be a requirement, if you can afford the test and a bike, you should really think about the gear too.

Sagalout · 11 Jul 2014 at 11:03

Freefaller said:
Natural selection at work. Frankly people who ride a motorbike are probably of the lower common denominator of intelligence.

Fixed that for you, as thats what a lot of people think about people that choose to ride a bike instead of a car. Thoroughly sick of nanny state telling me what to wear and do. If you want to minimise the risk have you bought an airbag suit, hi-vis clothing, auxiliary lights? If not why not? Because you decided on the level of risk you're willing to take. I'd love to race the TT but I won't accept that level of risk, but I don't denounce the people that do as being thick!

On the subject of auxiliary lights, they have been the best money I've spent on safety. I don't think I've had a single car pull out on me in the past year, whereas it used to be a weekly event on the commute.

Woogie · 11 Jul 2014 at 11:09

Sagalout said:
Fixed that for you, as thats what a lot of people think about people that choose to ride a bike instead of a car. Thoroughly sick of nanny state telling me what to wear and do. If you want to minimise the risk have you bought an airbag suit, hi-vis clothing, auxiliary lights? If not why not? Because you decided on the level of risk you're willing to take. I'd love to race the TT but I won't accept that level of risk, but I don't denounce the people that do as being thick!

On the subject of auxiliary lights, they have been the best money I've spent on safety. I don't think I've had a single car pull out on me in the past year, whereas it used to be a weekly event on the commute.

There is a difference between minimising the risk of an accident and minimising the damage of the accident after it has happened.

The auxiliary lights and High Vis Clothing minimise the risk of the accident where as the textiles/leathers limit the damage the accident has caused. Both Protective clothing and high visibility clothing should be mandatory.

Comparing a commute the TT is just stupid but if you want to go there, how many in the TT do you see NOT wearing full protective clothing? I bet you the answer is 0 or closer to it than the amount that think they are riding in the TT on the streets during the summer.

Freefaller · 11 Jul 2014 at 11:23

Sagalout said:
Fixed that for you, as thats what a lot of people think about people that choose to ride a bike instead of a car. Thoroughly sick of nanny state telling me what to wear and do. If you want to minimise the risk have you bought an airbag suit, hi-vis clothing, auxiliary lights? If not why not? Because you decided on the level of risk you're willing to take. I'd love to race the TT but I won't accept that level of risk, but I don't denounce the people that do as being thick!

On the subject of auxiliary lights, they have been the best money I've spent on safety. I don't think I've had a single car pull out on me in the past year, whereas it used to be a weekly event on the commute.

I ride (well not at the moment as I haven't got a place to store one) a bike, and have had my bike licence for around 10 years.

I'm not supporting the idea of mandatory protective clothing, but sometimes some people need protecting from themselves, and I do believe it is selfish on the emergency services, on others around or involved in an accident, and on the friends and families of those involved in an accident that ends up leaving a person in a really nasty state.

I've seen a friend lose nearly 40% of their skin at relatively low speeds owing to not wearing protective clothing - he survived (just) owing to being seen to quickly but he lost a lot of blood, and 7 years on is only now starting to get full range of motion in his legs and back owing to the tightness of the skin grafts. It wasn't pleasant. He rides again but he never leaves the house without full protection.

Of course it may not ever happen, of course we can blame car drivers and people who don't pay attention, of course we can blame lack of experience on a bike... we can finger point all you want. Ultimately, if you don't wear protection you're not doing yourself any favours. That's purely my opinion, but I can't help but feel frustrated by people in shorts and t-shirts on powerful bikes riding as if they're indestructible. Perhaps I'm getting old and protective of my fellow man - but again it's also because I know how much pain and heartache goes through people when dealing with bike accidents.

The fact you've added axillary lights (which I think is a great idea BTW) you're enhancing your safety and visibility - so enhancing your personal safety by wearing protection is surely just as sensible no?

I don't understand why you're comparing a race like the TT for day to day commuting or riding though?

Sagalout · 11 Jul 2014 at 12:27

My point is purely about the amount of personal risk you are prepared to take in life. It's a sliding scale, ranging from Low to high. Road Racers accept a huge level of risk. Yes, they wear all the proactive clothing they can, but if they crash at 150mph it's a higher risk of serious injury/death than the person wearing jeans at 50mph.

Rough sliding scale, lowest risk first:

People who won't ride a bike and stick to a car
people who ride a bike with every piece of protective and preventative clothing all the time (think IAM rider in hi-viz)
People who ride in full leathers and airbag
People who ride in full leathers <-----Lots of people in the thread are here
People who ride in textiles
People who ride in jeans and leather jacket <----- I am here (sometimes)
People who ride horses
People who ride an T shirt and shorts
People who compete in road racing
People who ride too fast on the road (in any clothing) <---- suspect from the crash thread lots of people are here

There are hundreds of permutations, but my point is you can't dictate where the correct level is in general, only for yourself, otherwise why are you correct and not the person who drives a car?