Leggings and jeggings, commonly worn by female motorcyclists, provide insufficient protection, according to new research by Deakin University textiles specialists. The Motorcycle Assessment Clothing Program (MotoCAP) at Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials conducted rigorous scientific testing.
Deakin’s MotoCAP textile experts evaluated ten manufacturers of women’s motorcycle leggings and jeggings sold in Australia. They discovered seven out of ten brands received only half a star for protection.
Inadequate abrasion resistance
In a motorcycle accident, scrapes, wounds, and abrasions of various sizes and shapes are among the most common abrasion injuries; regarding abrasion resistance, eight of the ten protective leggings and jeggings tested performed inadequately. This means that the leggings are worn before you’ve completed sliding after an accident, putting your skin at risk of being torn to shreds by the road. In addition, the protective fabrics did not cover all high-risk abrasion areas, such as the knees, sides of the legs, and posterior, in the brands that utilized higher resistance materials.
Unacceptable seams and bursting resistance
If your gear’s explosion resistance is subpar, seam strength may be the only thing between you and potentially life-threatening injuries during a motorcycle accident. The seam strength and burst resistance of eight protective leggings and jeggings evaluated by the Deakin researchers were either marginal or inadequate. Flimsy materials and improperly placed seams increase the likelihood that your clothing will rupture upon impact, exposing you to the road surface.
Insufficient impact protection
When a person hits the ground, the hips or knees are often the first areas to endure the brunt of the impact, making impact protection in safety gear essential.
Seven out of ten women’s motorcycle protective leggings and jeggings tested by MotoCAP performed inadequately in impact protection, offering no hip or knee impact protection. Lower extremity impact injuries can be a significant matter. They can cause broken bones, complex injuries, lengthy and painful recoveries, limited mobility, and injury to soft tissues without proper protection.
How do we have a more secure journey?
Riders must rely on marketing spin and online evaluations to make purchasing decisions due to the disparity in protection levels among motorcycle apparel. To select high-quality protective riding gear and avoid inferior options, it is necessary to investigate each garment’s materials, seam quality, and impact protection levels.
MotoCAP conducts independent scientific testing of gear sold in Australia and New Zealand to provide consumers with star ratings for the efficacy of jackets, pants, and gloves for motorcycle riding.
