Why don't folks wear gloves when they're riding?

[MSTRS:Me]

"Take away people's rights"???
You're off to a really good start in your attempt to fix ACC! Take away the income support and you take away ACC's incentive to provide treatment!

I apologise if my “personal freedom” has contributed to your higher ACC levies. If only I’d spent $700 on high tech race boots instead of the $350 for touring boots, I may not have crushed my foot and required ACC support. But I guess we’ll never know, so SORRY!

Under my system, you'd be fully covered. It's not the amount of $/protection that counts...it's the fact that you took a realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself in the first instance.

[MSTRS:Me]

People are always having a go at scooter riders but your unlikely to get seriously injured at 50kmh. Big painful, sticky anoying grazes but not serious abrasions.

Oh yeah? Try it. Then report back. With photos.
Of course, it may depend on how you fall, what the road surface is made of, and whether you are on the flat, or going up/down hill....etc

[Usarka]

Under my system, you'd be fully covered. It's not the amount of $/protection that counts...it's the fact that you took a realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself in the first instance.

if someone had "all the gear" but was riding like a loon, would that fail the criteria of "realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself"?

[MSTRS:Me]

if someone had "all the gear" but was riding like a loon, would that fail the criteria of "realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself"?

That has nothing to do with ACC. But expect an attachment to the 80% payout, courtesy of the courts....

[Ixion]

Or- if someone chooses to ride a 300kph sprotsbike at illegal speeds - hardly "realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself" is it

The reality is that ACC is (very wisely) a 'no fault' scheme. The frenzied shrieks of the holier-than-thou brigade demanding that those who infringe against their religious taboos shlould be excluded from it have (thank gods) absolutely zero chance of being listened to

I always find it a nicely balanced quandry to decide whether sprotsbike riders or crusier riders are the more arrogant.

[scumdog]

"Take away people's rights"???
You're off to a really good start in your attempt to fix ACC! Take away the income support and you take away ACC's incentive to provide treatment!

I apologise if my “personal freedom” has contributed to your higher ACC levies. If only I’d spent $700 on high tech race boots instead of the $350 for touring boots, I may not have crushed my foot and required ACC support. But I guess we’ll never know, so SORRY!

So... an extra $350 just for the hi-tech race boots eh?
How much for the other hi-tech gear?

Would that extra be less than the ACC levy $$$ (spread throughout the life of said hi-tech riding gear?)

"I don't think so Tim"

[James Deuce]

Or- if someone chooses to ride a 300kph sprotsbike at illegal speeds - hardly "realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself" is it

The reality is that ACC is (very wisely) a 'no fault' scheme. The frenzied shrieks of the holier-than-thou brigade demanding that those who infringe against their religious taboos shlould be excluded from it have (thank gods) absolutely zero chance of being listened to

I always find it a nicely balanced quandry to decide whether sprotsbike riders or crusier riders are the more arrogant.

Exactly why I ride semi-naked.

[Drew]

Exactly why I ride semi-naked.

Oh the humanity!!! Wont somebody think of the children.

Just kidding fella, you're a handsome man indeed.

[yungatart]

Exactly why I ride semi-naked.

OMG! I missed that!
When are you coming to HB again? The locals could do with some entertainment......

[swbarnett]

Under my system, you'd be fully covered. It's not the amount of $/protection that counts...it's the fact that you took a realistic level of responsibility towards protecting yourself in the first instance.

Ah, but whos says what's realistic?

[Jiminy]

I think those discussions about what gear you wear and the effect of wearing (or not wearing) some types of gear are good, no matter how much is repeated from previous threads. At least they make you think.

I tend to wear lighter gear (e.g. fingerless gloves, Johnny Rebs short boots) in town or around the bays even if I often go beyond the 50 kph. After seeing a few pictures around, I'm at least back to proper gloves out of town.

Funny enough , I wouldn't even THINK of wearing all that leather on a mountain bike even when riding at 60+ kph downhill on the road. Btw, mountain bike gloves won't protect you much if at all if you fall on pavement.

As for the legislation/ACC debate, let's face it, what kind of gear you deem 'good enough' is highly subjective. The 'idiots' who ride with t-shirts, jandals, no or fingerless gloves will learn their lessons soon enough. Mind you, I don't think helmets should be mandatory for push bikes.

If we go for 'the user shall pay' theory, do we need insurance at all?

[007XX]

People are always having a go at scooter riders but your unlikely to get seriously injured at 50kmh. Big painful, sticky anoying grazes but not serious abrasions.

Sorry, but I very strongly disagree with this statement...no disrespect meant of course

In New Caledonia (where I am from), getting a scooter on your 14th birthday is kind of a right of passage...you get one or you get riled by everybody else.
Anyway, I had a fall about a year after getting mine (not my fault btw...) and I still have the scars to prove it.

The thing is: I had jeans on, a full face helmet and a leather jacket...had I not had these, all my front teeth would have probably been left on the back of the car who cut in front of me, and my knees would have been in a much bigger mess than they are now

50km or not an hour, when someone cuts in front of you for example, your bike may stop, but your body is still going at the same speed.

My sister (15 years of age) has a scar about 25cm long on her calf where the flesh was singed by the exhaust pipe....little tart didn't listen to me and went riding in short.

It cannot be repeated enough: even if you're doing only 20km/hr, someone going at 120km/hr could hit you...do the math and don't take the risk, or at least put all the chances on your side: wear the darn gear!!!

[scumdog]

Went to a crash last night XL125 vs HiLux head-on..

Dude had broken leg and face/head injuries.

No leathers/gloves, no helmet.

Helmet would certainly have helped but any other gear would not have made his injuries less.

[Nagash]

People are always having a go at scooter riders but your unlikely to get seriously injured at 50kmh. Big painful, sticky anoying grazes but not serious abrasions.

Disagree, I am currently suffering a broken arm, torn ligament in mywrist that'll need an operation, stitches, road rash from going 20k on a push bike.

People really need to wear all the gear all the time no matter the situation because as stated, if it's just a fall then fair enough. But there's many ways to crash.

[Waxxa]

I read in the newspaper last year about road accidents and insurance cover which stated there that 90% of motorcycle accidents happened from other factors than the biker themselves. The remaining 10% comes from a mixture of driver incompetence like riding beyond conditions, beyond skill levels and other unforseen causes like oil spills, cars running red lights and stop signs etc and kids on go-karts coming out at ya. It was an interesting article which is why these figures have stuck in my mind.