How can we protect motorcyclists from injury?

Articles, Chronicles, Non classé

Unlike other means of transportation, such as the car, motorcycles pose a greater risk to the biker in the event of a fall on the road surface. A wide variety of protective equipment has been developed because of this. This equipment has been designed to prevent injuries and protect motorcyclists in the event of a fall on asphalt. Due to the lack of protection compared to that of an ordinary motorist, motorcyclists are exposed to a number of injuries such as fractures, abrasions and lacerations.

Why are abrasions a major risk for motorcyclists?

Intuitively, the main risk for motorcyclists is a head injury resulting from a serious fall. This is why French law requires all two-wheeled motorcyclists to wear a helmet. Since 2016, wearing EC-certified gloves is also mandatory for both the driver and any passenger. However, there is no obligation regarding protective clothing such as pants or jackets. Moreover, the democratization of the use and practice of biking has led to a lot of motorcyclists wearing normal jeans. That is to say jeans without real protection against abrasion or burns when the biker’s skin rubs on the asphalt. In fact, 70% of bikers do not wear specialized protective clothing for the bottom half of their bodies. While a majority wear a leather jacket …. It is therefore no coincidence that abrasions of the lower limbs are the cause of 70% of motorcycle-related injuries.Intuitivement, le principal risque pour les motards est de subir une blessure à la tête résultant d’une chute grave. C’est pourquoi la loi française impose à tous les motocyclistes à deux roues le port du casque. Depuis 2016, le port de gants certifiés CE est également obligatoire pour le conducteur comme le passager éventuel. Cependant rien n’est imposé en ce qui concerne les vêtements de protection comme le pantalon ou encore la veste. De plus, la démocratisation de l’utilisation et de la pratique des deux roues a engendré de nombreux cas de motards portant de simple jean. C’est à dire des jeans sans réelle protection contre l’abrasion ou les brulures lorsque la peau du motard frotte sur l’asphalte. En effet, 70% des motards ne portent pas de vêtements de protection spécialisés pour le bas. Alors qu’une majorité portent une veste en cuir pour le haut…. Ce n’est donc pas un hasard si les abrasions des membres inférieurs sont à l’origine de 70% des blessures liées à la pratique de la moto.

New innovation

So the aim is to find a garment that offers sufficient protection to the biker against abrasion. While keeping in mind the biker’s desire for a comfortable and elegant garment. The professional stuntman, Alain Bour recently tested a pair of ARMALITH® jeans to check the resistance of the fabric and seams in real skin-burning conditions in the event of a fall. During a fall of 280 joules (a number calculated according to the weight of the biker in relation to the speed of the impact), the ARMALITH® product proved to be safe because it absorbed the impact and sliding energy while only one layer of fabric was used to assemble the jeans. It withstood 32m of abrasion. This sort of test proves the quality and durability of ARMALITH® fabrics.

ARMALITH® is the leader in high performance denim. Its mission is to provide protective apparel without compromising comfort and style. Designed for motorcyclists, the denim offered by ARMALITH® has been developed from ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. It can resist up to 54m of abrasion. This type of technology will keep you safe while respecting your freedom and the environment.

To find out more about ARMALITH® 

Photo Credit: Warren Lecart