No matter what your age or riding experience - or whether you ride a sportsbike, tourer, scooter or moped - you need PROPER PROTECTION!
Helmets
Everyone, by law, must wear a helmet.
You are always safer with a full-face helmet - an open-face helmet may seem appealing in the summer but it won’t offer as much protection as a full-face model.
All motorcycle helmets must meet one of the following standards:
• British Standard BS 6658:1985 (and carrying the BSI Kitemark)
• UNECE Regulation 22.05
• A European Economic Area member standard offering at least the same safety and protection as BS 6658:1985 (and carrying a mark equivalent to the BSI Kitemark)
For more information on helmet safety visit SHARP
Our top helmet tip: full-face helmet - securely fastened
Protective clothing
Most riders setting off on a day's outing or a run will wear leathers, boots and gloves for their comfort and safety.
Around town it might be tempting to cut corners. Especially for scooter and moped riders, it's tempting to think that as long as you're wearing something like jeans and a helmet you'll be okay.
In the warm weather you may be tempted to wear even less - shorts and flip flops to show of your tan perhaps - especially if you are on a short trip.
Our research shows that scooter and moped riders believe that trainers, jeans and t-shirts will provide sufficient protection because they ride at relatively low speeds when compared to larger capacity machines. This misunderstanding leads to many unnecessary injuries.
Be aware - at places where riders are likely to have to stop pretty quickly, such as at crossings, traffic lights and roundabouts - the road will have large patches of rough anti-skid surface to give good wheel grip. These are just the places that you may be caught off guard and come off your machine!
Even a standard road surface is pretty hard on clothing and skin if you hit it. Jeans and sports gear are no protection against the abrasive power of a road surface that can remove layers of your clothing and skin before you know it!
Hi-vis clothing
At SSUP, we believe riders should make the right choice to improve their safety by enhancing their presence when sharing the road network, with many others. The wearing of a hi-vis safety aid could make the difference of being seen or not especially by some drivers who are quick to shout 'SMIDSY'!
Click here to check out our hi-viz merchandise.
Our top clothing tip: leather gloves, protective jacket, armoured or Kevlar-lined jeans and hi-vis vest garment or backpack.
Footwear
If you come off your bike, the first thing to hit the floor will be the soles of your feet or your ankles, so make sure you've got plenty of protection in the form of riding boots.
If you can’t face wearing high boots for quick journeys around town, there are plenty of short, paddock-style boots with impact protection and proper fastenings for a secure fit. They are comfortable to wear on and off the bike, and include a waterproof membrane which will keep your feet dry in summer showers.
Our top footwear tip: wear sturdy ankle boots and why not leave a spare pair of shoes or trainers at work / college and change when you get there ?