DRESS FOR THE CRASH
BY GLENN C. MCGOVERN
MOTORCYCLE TRIAL ATTORNEY AND MSF BASIC INSTRUCTOR
[email protected] • 1-800-721-3992
About Glenn C. McGovern: Glenn is an AV Martindale Hubbell rated trial lawyer, the highest rating for ability and ethics; Louisiana Super Lawyer
and AVVO 10 rated attorney; Certified M.S.F. Basic Motorcycle Instructor and held a F.I.M. motocross racing license and raced in the A.M.A. Amateur
Nationals and in Europe.; Teaches trial advocacy and is a frequent author on trial techniques and motorcycle litigation techniques; On the Board
of Directors of the Louisiana Association for Justice Vice-President with G.N.O. A.B.A.T.E., advocates and lobbies in the legislature for motorcyclists
Handles cases all over the state of Louisiana and is admitted to all federal and the U.S. Supreme Court.
O
ne of the qualities of a good motorcyclist is he/she anticipates hazards.
In this age of distracted drivers with the rising number of annual
motorcycle/car crashes and fatalities growing each year in Louisiana, it
has never been more important to dress for the inevitable crash. If you
dress properly, you can save yourself extreme pain, large medical expenses, and
survive the crash with few injuries. It is up to you how you manage how you
prepare for the crash. We cannot always predict other distracted automobile
drivers violations of your motorcycle’s right-of-way. But we can minimize the
damages to our bodies based on how we dress for the crash.
I can truthfully say I would not be writing this if I have not worn the best
protective gear I could purchase at the time of each crash. Yes, I have suffered
some injuries in those crashes, but I quickly recovered with minor fractures and
with no permanent disability. I have analyzed each crash I see with clients and
my own crashes. After each experience I have added safety gear to my personal
protective gear. Over time , technology has provided better and better options
each passing year.
For example, I would not be here if I did not wear my Leatt neck brace , Leatt
chest protector, and Shoei full coverage helmet when in 2014 when I crashed
from a jump at the World Veterans Championship.
Another example is I started to wear knee braces after a 9-month recovery
from an ACL injury. The new braces for motocross racing are of carbon fiber and
light We all will make some mistakes in judgment. Racing is a lot safer than
today’s urban areas with distracted cell phone drivers texting as they go. We
have to expect the unexpected. We have to prepare for these inevitable crashes
on the streets where the chances of catastrophic injury is much greater than
ever.
I get really upset when a motorcyclist is injured or killed due to a motorist that
usually claims, “I never saw the motorcycle” and fails to yield. The results can
range from bone fractures, concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), amputation
of limbs or death. Proper riding gear will help mitigate these injuries.
WHAT EXPERIENCE HAS TAUGHT ME ANALYZING MOTORCYCLE CRASHES
I have been practicing law and handling motorcycle crash cases for 40
years. I have also raced motorcycles in the U.S. and Europe since 1973. I have
seen a father die who just tipped over, and hit his chest with the handlebar,
fracturing a rib that shattered with a piece of rib puncturing his heart. I have
seen motorcycle riders killed in medium speed crashes in dirt when their
substandard D.O.T. approved helmet strap failed, that was securely fastened.
On the other hand, I have seen motorcyclists survive terrible crashes with the
motorcycle going into the interior compartment of a car through the passenger
car door, and the motorcyclists walked away with no injuries. The driver did
not do well. Why? Because the motorcyclist had dressed for the crash with the
best protective riding gear like I show in the attached photos. This includes
a full coverage helmet, protective pants that fasten to the protective jacket,
full finger leather gloves, boots above the ankle with ankle supports, a visor
on the helmet, and a full protective jacket with CE certified foam protective
spine and elbow pieces sewn in the protective jacket. I remember a Honda
Gold-Wing female rider that went down after a tractor-trailer dropped an large
metal object on the highway in front of the Gold-Wing motorcycle, crushing
the entire front end. The rider survived a 65 m.p.h. crash/slide on concrete with
little road rash and minor fractures. How did she do it? She was dressed well
with a complete Joe Rocket nylon mesh jacket with CE spine protector, elbow
protectors and pants with CE knee pads, full leather boots, full finger leather
gloves and a full coverage helmet with visor. All this gear was totally destroyed,
but the rider survived with little permanent injury and few skin abrasions.
How would this rider have made out with no safety gear and a novelty hel-
met? I have another client, a female passenger on a motorcycle with no safety
gear except a cheap D.O.T. half helmet. The poorly designed partial helmet
had an inadequate chin strap that allowed the helmet to slide up as the wind
picked up, lifting the front of the helmet, jerking her head and causing her to
fall off the motorcycle at over 65 m.p.h. The lady passenger was treated at a
Level 4 Trauma Unit in New Orleans and then treated in a special burn unit in
Baton Rouge. The medical b ills were over $230,000. The scarring was over the
lady’s entire body and all of the scarring was permanent.
CAREFULLY CONSIDER YOUR PROTECTIVE CLOTHING OPTIONS IN HOT
AND COLD WEATHER
I see most motorcyclists wear little or no protective gear other than a helmet.
No gloves or useless partial finger gloves (which are worthless in preventing
an ungloved finger), no eye protection (other than sunglasses which are not
legal nor work to protect the eyes from rocks), flip-flops or sneakers (which
do nothing to protect the feet and ankle), short sleeve shirt ( no road rash
protection or elbow impact protection) and short pants ( which offer no knee,
leg and skin protection). This seems to be especially common in hot weather.
There are better options even in hot weather.
THE OPTIONS EXIST THAT ARE MORE COMFORTABLE THAN SHORTS AND
SANDALS ETC.
You need to be comfortable when you ride to be able to concentrate on the
task of driving. If you get hit in the face /eye by a rock, stung by bee on your
chest, or large bug, it is not comfortable and can cause a crash. What about hot
weather? Again, there are options.
There are synthetic underwear the protects your skin and actually allows you to
ride cooler in hot weather. Some of these clothes have protective Kevlar areas.
A relatively cheap option is to wear a synthetic mesh combination pants
and jacket as shown herein. Note the jacket and pants have fasteners to lock
the pants and jacket in place in a crash with a zipper on the pants and at the
bottom of the jacket as shown. Also ,many, such as the Joe Rocket combination
shown have protective pads for the spine, elbow and knees that are CE certified
to be effective in crashes. Always look for this level of certified protection in
motorcycle clothing. These jackets have a zip out nylon liner that can be used
in wet weather or removed in hot weather. This outfit is a good compromise
26 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana/Mississippi | July 2018 | www.thunderroadslams.com
between comfort and safety.
In cold weather, you need to stay warm to be able to concentrate. A full
leather jacket and pants offer good skin protection, but little warmth and
protection from hypothermia.
Wind chill increases with your cruising speed so this is important. Insulated long
underwear, full coverage insulated riding suits, electric riding gear can make
what would be a unsafe miserable ride enjoyable. Insulated gloves, rain suits
that don’t flap in the wind, and full above the ankle waterproof boots offer
greater protection and comfort.
No detail regarding your protective gear is too small not to consider. For
example, I had a client went 4 blocks with no gloves on. A drunk driver crossed
his path causing a crash of his BMW motorcycle. Instead of wearing his full
fingered leather gloves with the pinky sewed together to the adjacent finger
and knuckle protectors, he had a naked hand that one of the fingers had the
skin peel off away from degloving his hand. The injury was permanent and
could never be restored with surgery. The rider lost his chosen profession as a
skilled metal worker. Even a simple glove is very important. Many offer finger
separation protections with digits sewn together, knuckle protection and wrist
protection.
Many may say this level of glove protection is not needed by a street rider.
However, there are no distracted cell phone drivers in automobiles and trucks
on a race track. We street riders have to deal with these added dangers, every
mile of every trip, every day. We also can suffer brain damage from rotational
acceleration from low speed impacts. Helmet companies such as the 6D street
helmet shown can protect you from the major cause of brain damage of
rotational acceleration. 6D puts out their crash data-unlike several other major
helmet companies that advertise that their “MIPS” systems supposedly do the
job, but they do not publish their helmet test data. (I will bet my money and
safety with the 6D helmets until other helmets make full disclosure of their
helmet crash test data.)
CONCLUSION: YOU NEED TO BUILD A MOTORCYCLE WARDROBE FOR
EVERY WEATHER CONDITION
There is no such thing as a universal riding outfit. A T-shirt, tennis shoes
and novelty helmets (i.e. uncertified non-D.O.T. non-SNELL certified helmets
are really unsafe). It depends on the riding mission and what the weather
conditions require. Leather is too hot in summer for most missions. Synthetic
two-piece mesh outfits provide a good compromise in hot weather. Such gear is
miserable in cold or wet weather. A good rain-suit that can be carried is money
well spent for your comfort and safety. There are many options in gloves and
riding boots for every mission. The new inflatable vests for the street and track
show much promise in enhance protection. There are more options available
every year. Consider them carefully.
There is an old saying, “There are bold and old motorcyclists, but
there are no old, bold motorcyclists.” Wearing adequate protective gear
is important to your comfort, safety and surviving a crash, so you can be the
oldest motorcycle rider in the nursing home!
HELMET BOOTS
6D invented the helmet
that protects against
rotational acceleration
brain damages with its
patented suspension
system. Copied now
by others but never
duplicated. It’s the best. Triumph boots offer
good all round street/
touring protection.
Dainese boots offer
much more for street
and racing at high
speeds.
GLOVES PANTS
Gloves are available
for various riding
conditions. From left
to right, for street, for
racing with wrist/pinky
finger protection and
for insulated for cold
weather. Nylon mesh pants
with CE certified
knee protectors and
fastening system to
fasten pants to jacket
to prevent road rash
from jacket creeping up
in a slide/crash.
JACKET FASTENERS
Nylon mesh jackets are
a good compromise for
hot weather and road
rash/crash armor built
in protection with pants
to jacket fastening
system. Fastening system to
secure jacket to pants
and fastening zipper
on pants to jacket to
prevent road rash.
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