The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Motorcycle Safety: Get the Gear and Wear It
July 25, 2009

When riding a bike, wearing the proper gear and motorcycle clothing is important – a point made obvious by professional racers who often fall off a racing bike only to slide down a racetrack at 100 mph, dust themselves off, pick up the race bike and continue the competition. 

Safety Gear 

Appropriate motorcycle accessories include: 

• boots,
• gloves,
• eye protection, and
• leather or Cordura riding clothes (preferably with armor padding in key locations). 

These items can make the difference between a harrowing story, and a trip to the emergency room or even the morgue. Today’s choice in riding gear offers style, comfort and convenience along with safety. 

But no single piece of riding equipment has been proven as effective in saving lives as the motorcycle helmet. All the arguments about personal freedom notwithstanding, a motorcycle helmet is one thing no safety conscious rider would go without. 

Helmet testing by the Snell Foundation compares the effectiveness of various types and brands of helmets. Except for novelty helmets that are not certified DOT (Department of Transportation) compliant, the biggest difference is simply between wearing or not wearing a helmet. The choice to not wear a helmet usually extends from peer pressure and it seems unfortunate that going without a helmet is a style decision that often costs a life. Almost any helmet will protect better than none, but a high-quality, snug fitting model is required for optimum safety. 

Another frequently forgotten piece of safety equipment is a set of ear plugs. At highway speeds, wind noise levels even with a full-face helmet are extreme. Permanent hearing damage can take place in less than an hour and becomes cumulative over time. Yet basic ear plugs provide excellent protection and take surprisingly little time to get used to. Unfortunately, some archaic state laws ban ear plugs in both ears, but by citing a reasonable medical need, few courts are willing to convict health-conscious users.  

Other Safety Considerations 

Perhaps the most life-saving preparation is to get proper training. A 300- to 900-pound motorcycle is not like riding a bicycle. Proper ways to ride a motorcycle are often neither obvious nor intuitive. Certain skills require instruction while all require practice. Proper attitude is essential for success in any endeavor and staying alive and uninjured on a motorcycle is certainly no exception. 

The reflexes of youth are no match for the wisdom of experience. Learning to do things right, however, will cover much of the difference. In most states, obtaining a motorcycle license requires little to no training. 

You can find information on motorcycle training from your state’s Highway Patrol or from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). The MSF offers training courses for beginners and experienced riders (800-446-9227).