The consequences of not wearing PPE - Warning Graphic Pictures!

[fullscreenaging]

I watched the new series of 999: Critical Condition last night and a patient was brought in that the program stated was a motorcyclist that had been involved in a collision with a car. 

The first image shows that he was wearing trainers.

The following images show the consequences of that choice….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now the guy looked a sensible sort of person and both he and his wife were devastated. 
 

I have a few questions;

 

Do you think there is an element of naivety when only small capacity bikes are ridden or is it ignorance?

 

Do you think the importance of wearing PPE should be part of the CBT, MOD 1 & 2 with real stories & photos presented?

 

Should more than just wearing a helmet be made compulsory?

 

 

 

 

 

[bonio]

In the CBT they drone on for ages about the need to wear PPE, to the point where you can sometimes get to lunch and you still haven't actually ridden the bike. What they don't do is show you pictures like these; if they did, they could cut the droning down to five minutes; the pictures speak for the themselves  

[fastbob]

Have you ever pondered what the medical term De-gloved means ? Here's a clue . Look at this GIF... https://pin.it/6feMxgi

Edited January 7, 2022 by fastbob

[DR1]

As many of you probably know it’s now illegal in France to ride two wheeled powered vehicles without appropriate CE marked gloves. The on the spot fine for not doing so is €135. (I’m fairly sure that visitors are exempt). This resulted from paramedics pointing out how much time they were ‘wasting’ taking care of avoidable hand injuries. The finger was pointed at moped riders as being the majority of the culprits. 
About 12 years ago I lived in a small town where a young soldier died after a motorcycle accident. He was at the local swimming pool with his girlfriend and popped home to pick up something dressed in his shorts and t-shirt. On the way back he stopped at the traffic lights in front of the pool and was run into by a car coming up behind him. He lost so much skin he died a couple of days later. It’s a thing I remember every hot summer's day when I’m thinking of removing my armoured clothes. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by DR1

[MikeHorton]

Yep it would make sense if it was law to wear a level of protective clothing. I know especially in the summer it can be a bind and is tempting not to bother but it's not worth it. 

[manxie49]

I've seen bikers over here walk away from 90mph get off's because they've been wearing good quality gear, flip side, I've also seen bikers suffer life changing injuries at 30mph due to the fact they decided to go riding in training shoes and track suit bottoms, for some unknown reason they do seem to be scoot jockeys or those on low CC bikes.  In my job I've heard everything from "I was only going to the shop, couldn't be bothered putting all the gear on", to, "it was too warm for all that clobber".  From 2022 TT riders are now required to wear CE approved clothing,  this is checked at scrutineering, this ruling has been made pragmatically for a good reason.  IMHO enforcement of PPE takes away freedom of choice, and lets face it, we're seeing more and more of that in this country,  however,  as a biker who's been riding for many years, and someone who has also been knocked of,  I know full well how much it hurts when you get intimate with the tarmac. I've been off while green laning,  I remember going down heavily on my knee, the only thing that saved me from a trip to the hospital was the knee braces I was wearing. Therefore, IMO, anyone who rides without PPE really is truly courting disaster.   I've heard all the arguments and the truth is PPE does save life and goes a long way to preventing serious injury, even a low speed get off with gravel rash,  if anyone seen how they deal with gravel rash in A&E it would definitely make them think twice about riding in shorts.  But, each to their own, I wouldn't want to dictate to anyone what they should do, and I hate it when governments start doing the same, but, so long as they're aware of the consequences to themselves when it goes wrong,  and they're happy to accept them, then, it's their life, literally. 

[skyrider]

yes well said 

[DR1]

The trouble is that when a rider injures themselves it’s not just them who is inconvenienced. If the story about the gloves highlights anything it’s that even the simplest PPE can helps take the strain off the emergency services making them more efficient and saving them money. In an ideal world everyone would take responsibility for their own actions but in the real world people expect others to clear up after them. 

[fastbob]

1 hour ago, MikeHorton said:

Yep it would make sense if it was law to wear a level of protective clothing. I know especially in the summer it can be a bind and is tempting not to bother but it's not worth it. 

Good luck with that . We can't even get people to wear a cheap paper mask or have a free life saving vaccine . 

[billy sugger]

I've always worn PPE on the bikes, regardless of the weather. If I didn’t then I would have had a knackered right ankle after a estate car pulled out and turned right, leaving me nowhere to go. My right ankle was trapped between the bike and his wheel arch, but my forward momentum took me over the bonnet, dragging my ankle out with it. In the ambulance I would not let them cut the boot off, so unzipped it removed it myself, albeit in a lot of pain. I reasoned it had saved me so you can't ruin it cutting it off, it was armoured anyway so would have been difficult. 

When the docs checked me over they found "Only" severe ligament damage, but no breaks. They informed me the ankle will never be as it was, due to the damage, but if I had not been in those boots I would have lost it. I was off work, and ordered to keep all weight off the ankle for two weeks minimum. When I looked the boot over a bit later to see how it had faired. the top part from ankle area upwards was bent over at a 90% angle, despite that part being heavily armoured and only allowing the  normal movement of the foot for walking. Annoyingly those boots were original Frank Thomas, and the best I've ever owned

[Davidtav]

There does seem to be a lot more emphasis on wearing protective equipment these days. And rightly so. 
Back in the early 90s I commuted into Central London on a 125. My boots were Derri Boots. Little more than Wellingtons really. Trousers and jacket had no protection in them whatsoever. Just waterproof material. Everyone commuting seemed to wear the same jacket as me. A thin silver reflective thing that wouldn’t have protected me at all if I had come off the bike. Gloves, well the dealers used to have bins of gloves for a fiver. They weren’t very good. … none of this seemed unusual at the time. This was the gear that the dealer sold me as suitable. And other colleagues commuting by bike wore very similar stuff. … I only started wearing proper motorbike boots and a better jacket and leather trousers etc when I moved up to an ER5. … but in all honesty I would have been at as much risk on the 125 in a collision. 

[Fish]

I remember when I took my MOD 2 back in July. I was warned to wear gloves that showed the protection. If the examiner caught you not wearing the correct gear including gloves you'd get a fail. Thanksfully I had all the correct gear but he did double check my boots.

[Bender]

I Really struggle to understand folk who wear crap or no gloves, your brain is putting your hands out in a fall like it or not. 

[Fleck]

I ride a scooter 2 up in Spain when we're there in the summer, understanderbly few riders wear leathers over there, most people, as we do, wear shorts and tee shirts. It's mostly town riding and I don't go above 30mph usually (not that it would help much in an off) the trick is to make sure you don't put yourself in a situation where someone else can knock you off... Look ahead, slow down at junctions, give cars a wide berth and expect the unexpected.

 

I think there will come a day in the UK when leathers are mandatory sadly, it's the way we're heading with a creeping loss of liberty in general. 

[Gerontious]

I doubt leathers would ever become mandatory. But some level of protection maybe will. A good place to start would be gloves. Makes me shudder when I see delivery riders without gloves in the warmer (and sometimes not so warm) months. Probably due to their heavy use of smart phones for their pick ups and drops.

 

usually takes a spill to hammer the point home. But with hands in particular this will often involve plastic surgery (if lucky) and that’s not something I would wish on anyone. It’s awful.

[onesea]

I have had chance to chat with a few paramedics on this, all tend to agree the difference the following make is massive:

armour shoulder, Knees, shoulders back, elbow & hip,

boots,

Gloves,

helmet,

 

Non of the paramedics could give a answer to leathers v textiles, brand or design that was better.

Just that this gear stops injuries.

[daveinlim]

I think a lot of people are unaware of the damage that could be done at 20 or 30mph. Some people don't think that they need anything for 30mph cause it's not fast but at the same time would think they would get hurt if they fell out of a car at that speed. 

 

I wonder why scooter/moped drivers rarely wear anything other than a helmet. They don't seem to think that it's just as dangerous and a crash could be devesting.

 

[Old-codger]

I think especially when you are young or stupid they think nothing will happen to them, but if you think of it the other way it has to happen to someone and sooner or later it will be your turn.

[DR1]

Every time I read about someone who has ‘tuned’ his e-bike so it will do 50mph or whatever I think that falling off at half that speed in a t-shirt and shorts is going to hurt a bit. 

[Fleck]

54 minutes ago, daveinlim said:

I think a lot of people are unaware of the damage that could be done at 20 or 30mph. Some people don't think that they need anything for 30mph cause it's not fast but at the same time would think they would get hurt if they fell out of a car at that speed. 

 

I wonder why scooter/moped drivers rarely wear anything other than a helmet. They don't seem to think that it's just as dangerous and a crash could be devesting.

 

It's the very warm weather in Spain, donning leathers for a trip through town just isn't done. For me personally I'm terrified of being knocked off even at 20/30mph and I make sure we don't ever even get close, I also feel a big responsibility to my passenger, I have her absolute trust which I very much appreciate. 

Having good road sense and lots of experience is vital, I can usually tell what someone is going to do before they do it. 

[bonio]

I guess a lot of scooter riders don't have the cash to throw at buying the gear, so they buy the compulsory helmet and stop there. 

[Mickly]

2 hours ago, daveinlim said:

I think a lot of people are unaware of the damage that could be done at 20 or 30mph. Some people don't think that they need anything for 30mph cause it's not fast but at the same time would think they would get hurt if they fell out of a car at that speed. 

 

I wonder why scooter/moped drivers rarely wear anything other than a helmet. They don't seem to think that it's just as dangerous and a crash could be devesting.

 

Same goes for cyclists I guess

[stikflote]

Riding on A50 last summer im doing close to 80, a Suzuki bike comes past me he in a tee shirt shorts trainers no gloves 

 

 i caught him in up  the traffic standing wait to move he shouts its too hot for that gear,

i just thought what a twat

Edited January 8, 2022 by stikflote

[Bender]

You only have to look at the walking wounded and the bandages when your on hols in Thailand or the like and that's without seeing the thousands that never make it out alive. 

[S-Westerly]

I used to sail with a German guy who'd had an off in Thailand wearing shorts and flip-flops. On a gravel road no less. He was a year in hospital and needed skin grafts over the entire left side of his body head to toe. The end effect was that he was badly scarred and looked like he been burned.