This paper summarizes the technical background, information and conclusions regarding proposed leg protection devices for motorcycles. Leg protector concepts researched over the last 20 years are reviewed. The general conclusion is that they tend to produce negative effects, that is to say: transfer of injuries to the upper body and upper legs. In 1987, the United Kingdom proposed a national Draft Specification (UKDS) for motorcycle leg protectors, currently a prospective topic of discussion in the EEC. Although the UKDS concept is similar to earlier concepts, the motorcycle industry undertook an extensive evaluation of it, culminating in full-scale tests in 1989. The paper discusses the results of the full-scale crash tests and computer simulations of the UKDS, and observations concerning the methodologies used to evaluate it. One overall conclusion reached is that, for motorcycles, any leg protector involving a robust knee restraint - with or without external energy absorption, knee pads, or leg retention - inherently results in negative effect, and therefore is not feasible. (A)
Abstract