Evidence that wearing full safety apparel causes accidents

**danchop** · 17th January 2014, 18:17

a poor nelson bloke whose actually lucky really,overheated in his bike gear and crashed onto the rocks,on rocks road in nelson.
sure his bike gear saved him after the fact,but he wouldnt have blacked out in shorts and a singlet

**Berries** · 17th January 2014, 18:23

He should have taken Foam Street instead, or perhaps Bubble Avenue.

**The Reibz** · 17th January 2014, 18:52

I came off at 200kph on the track last year. Shit maybe if the marshals let me race in boardies and a singlet instead off full one peice leathers, boots and gloves I might not have come off...
Honestly, best 1.5k I ever spent. No skin missing...

**iranana** · 17th January 2014, 18:58

http://i.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/new...ry-in-accident

Sounds like it was more to it than the gear alone

**Scuba_Steve** · 17th January 2014, 19:05

Originally Posted by iranana

http://i.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/new...ry-in-accident

Sounds like it was more to it than the gear alone

yep obviously he wasn't going fast enough either needed more wind flow

**AllanB** · 17th January 2014, 19:43

Weird.

One would assume he was feeling 'off' before the 'accident' ......

**Fern** · 17th January 2014, 19:44

this is a load of crock... i've ridden through deserts- 50c- in full european black textile gear, and was hot but didn't kill... heatstroke or something similar-- maybe hangover or trying not to have licence rescinded for epilepsy?

I prefer having skin...

http://www.getyourownbike.com/BrittanyMorrow.htm

**Gremlin** · 17th January 2014, 21:55

As Fern said... I've been in 49+ degrees for more than an hour, and the gauge topped out at 53 degrees. Dehydration was a serious risk, but otherwise, fine. Also, in high temperatures you're better to cover up your skin to reduce skin area being exposed to wind/sun which dehydrates you faster.

**bluninja** · 18th January 2014, 07:32

I used to work in the engine room of ships with the temperature above 50 for 8 hours a day in full safety gear...the ship never crashed. Mind you I didn't try playing tennis

I have ridden, and done track time in full gear in high temps , never felt dizzy or faint from the heat. As has been said already, hydration is the key to things.

**SMOKEU** · 18th January 2014, 07:34

I stick to the push bike on hot days. Pour water over my head and back, and I'm fine. Beats being stuck in leathers with an overheating engine.

**TheDemonLord** · 18th January 2014, 07:48

Yeaaaaaah Naaaaaaah

After recently doing an impromptu destructive test on my Cape Town Alpine Star Jacket - seeing the Kevlar worn right through to the armour in the shoulder, seeing the armour on my Gerricke kangaroo leather gloves scuffed to hell and the sacrificial leather pads well and truly sacrificed - all I can say is:

my Loathing at seeing other motorcyclists NOT wearing proper safety gear has only increased - if my jacket could get so trashed, I shudder to think how my shoulder would have faired, I suspect the Ambulance crews would have shown up only to be picking bits of my skin and bone off the motorway had I been one of those 'cool' bikers riding round in singlet and shorts.

sure - maybe 1 in 10,000 crashes might have had the safety gear that we wear contribute to the crash - but even that 1 crash - I would wager that the wearer came out better for wearing correct gear - Even if it was the direct and sole cause of the crash

On a slight aside - I actually thought this thread was going to be about the Psychological effects of wearing safety gear and the 'bulletproof' mentality that sometimes comes with it

**300weatherby** · 18th January 2014, 17:14

Sitting at the Sign of the Kiwi today, up the hill and into the carpark come 18 scooter/moped/stepthough types on some random rally, THREE of them wearing gloves, all wearing helmets nearly older than me,one of them in a nazi helment! a random assortment of gymshoes/trackpants/jeans/tshirts/denim jackets. Fuel containers straped on the tank,tied on the back, hanging off to one side, one of this lot had his 5ltr container AS his fuel tank. Some, drinking bears as they waited for the next group move.

Watching them manouver their various contraptions, it became obvious that none of them had a clue what they were doing and no regard for the consequences delivered by the inevitable............

It is we, the hard put apon taxpayer, that will pay for the skin grafts, finger amputations, reconstructive surgury ect.

**Milts** · 18th January 2014, 18:22

Clearly he was not wearing appropriate gear, if it was such that it allegedly caused him to overheat...

Regardless, I feel that's the wrong way to look at it. Even if wearing gear caused some crashes, you would have to weigh that against the balance of injuries or crashes it prevented - and obviously it comes up trumps in that respect.

Glad to hear he walked away though, fingers crossed for a full recovery.

Originally Posted by TheDemonLord

On a slight aside - I actually thought this thread was going to be about the Psychological effects of wearing safety gear and the 'bulletproof' mentality that sometimes comes with it.

Same here. And even so, the above logic still applies IMO.

**cheshirecat** · 18th January 2014, 18:24

So - A question might be; is the mindset different, re crashing, togging up with full gear for a weekend ride over the whats its different from casual gear for the odd commute to the dairy? ie is the riding envelope of safety/calculated risks different.

I mention this since when DRing I never relied on my gear though in those days is was only PVC jackets, leggings and trainers (have you ever tried wearing MC boots 12 hours a day 5 days a week?)

**Berries** · 18th January 2014, 21:08

Originally Posted by 300weatherby

Sitting at the Sign of the Kiwi today, up the hill and into the carpark come 18 scooter/moped/stepthough types on some random rally, THREE of them wearing gloves, all wearing helmets nearly older than me,one of them in a nazi helment! a random assortment of gymshoes/trackpants/jeans/tshirts/denim jackets. Fuel containers straped on the tank,tied on the back, hanging off to one side, one of this lot had his 5ltr container AS his fuel tank. Some, drinking bears as they waited for the next group move.

Watching them manouver their various contraptions, it became obvious that none of them had a clue what they were doing and no regard for the consequences delivered by the inevitable............

It is we, the hard put apon taxpayer, that will pay for the skin grafts, finger amputations, reconstructive surgury ect.

If they crash. Perhaps you are more likely to crash than any one of them, who knows.