This study has considered demands place on protective clothes for motorcyclists together with observed benefits and limitations for absorbing loads and preventing injuries. In this study, 1,933 accidents involving injured motorcyclists, collected by an in-depth investigation team at the Accident Research Unit-Medical University Hanover (Germany), were analysed to find the detailed injury patterns comparing persons with and without protective clothes. The parameters influencing the force reduction are discussed comparing impact speed, elasticity coefficient and thickness of the materials used in special protectors. Additionally, post mortem human tests were carried out to find the effectiveness of such protector devices for load reductions in the lower leg. This study showed that loads, and the subsequent risk of fractures, can be reduced efficiently by foam-plate systems. Benefits were established for using a laminate of hard and soft materials for protection against soft tissue injuries both in the accident analysis and experimental tests. (Author/publisher)
Abstract