|
home / centre for automotive safety research / Publications / List / Details Publication Details| Title | Abrasion resistance of motorcycle protective clothing worn by Australian motorcyclists | | Authors | Meredith L, Fitzharris M, Baldock MRJ, De Rome L, Brown J | | Year | 2015 | | Type | Conference Paper | | Abstract | Motorcyclists are the fastest growing sector of road users globally and represent an increasing proportion of road crash casualties in Australia and around the world. The most common types of injuries to motorcyclists are soft tissue injuries and these can cause longer term disability. Protective clothing can help prevent these injuries, yet the performance of this clothing is variable. This work investigated the abrasion resistance of clothing worn by Australian motorcycle riders who have been admitted to hospital after a crash. This study involved an in-depth investigation of 92 crashed motorcyclists in the Sydney and Newcastle regions. Clothing worn by the motorcyclists was inspected for damage, and the level of abrasion resistance was measured using the Cambridge Abrasion Resistance method. The results confirm the quality of protective clothing is variable, with approximately 20% of the clothing damage observed to result in failure of the material, leaving the rider’s skin exposed. Testing of the clothing confirmed the validity of the Cambridge Abrasion Test method. Materials found to take longer to hole using this method, i.e. materials with greater resistance to abrasion, were significantly associated with a lower probability of injury. The results of this work demonstrate the need to implement a mechanism for communicating the quality of protective clothing available to Australian riders, and the potential of the Cambridge Abrasion test method to achieve this. | | Conference Name | Australasian Road Safety Conference | | Conference Abbreviation | ARSC2015 | | Conference Location | Gold Coast, Queensland | | Conference Date | 14-16 October 2015 |
| Reference | | Meredith L, Fitzharris M, Baldock MRJ, De Rome L, Brown J (2015). Abrasion resistance of motorcycle protective clothing worn by Australian motorcyclists. Australasian Road Safety Conference, Gold Coast, Queensland, 14-16 October 2015. |
|
