Approximately 150,000 off-road motorcycles are sold in the United States annually, but how many of the buyers or riders are using proper safety techniques and procedures?  It is said that an estimated 56,000 injuries occur each year due to improper use and practices of motorcycle safety.  There are also 150-200 deaths reported annually among teens in the United States who have failed to use safety equipment.  How can this problem be resolved?  What safety procedures should riders follow before riding?  What types of safety equipment should be used?

Before throwing your leg over the seat and riding, the rider should always try to learn as much as possible about the off-road motorcycle.  Safety of riding and racing is more than just wearing equipment for protection.  It also involves getting to know the mike.  The rider should look over the bike to get familiar with its parts and how they operate.  A part that is worn or broken can cause a wreck, which can result in serious injury to the rider and significant damage to the machine.  The “3-Minute Check” is a quick way to look over tires and wheels, controls and cables, lights, oil and fuel, and nuts and bolts. 

The owner’s operating manual should also be read before riding.  The operating manual is useful for safety practices and regulations as well as a service maintenance guide for the machine.  The manual gives information on rider posture and balance, body control, hand signals, engine starting and stopping, controls, shifting, turning and obstacle riding. 

Wearing protective body riding gear helps to reduce injury in case of a crash.  Proper safety gear to wear while riding or racing includes: helmet and goggles, undershorts, jersey, pants and gloves, tall socks and tall boots, neck brace and chest protector, knee braces and a hydration pack.

A DOT (Department of Transportation) and Snell (Pete Snell Memorial Foundation- a non-profit organization that sets voluntary motorcycle helmet safety standards) approved helmet and goggles are the most important pieces of safety equipment a rider should wear.  The helmet is sized to fit according to the circumference of the head in inches.  A helmet must fit snug with little room to move when buckled.  The severity of an impact depends on the energy of the crash, therefore protection of the head is crucial.  Many injuries are prevented yearly simply by riders strapping on a helmet.  Goggles come in a variety of sizes and styles and all have an eye protecting safety lens and a nose guard barrier.  They also come with removable pull string lens tape that keeps debris off, helping keep the rider’s vision clear.  The goggles should fit closely to the eyes to offer the best protection.

The Leatt neck brace was created by Dr. Chris Leatt in Cape Town, South Africa in 2006 after witnessing a friend’s death from a racing induced spinal injury.  The neck brace is a huge contribution to protection to the neck and spine and spine related injuries.  The function of a neck brace is to prevent extreme ranges of motion of the neck during a crash and to redirect some of the forces while crashing.  The brace clamps around the rider’s neck and rests on top of the clavicle and surrounding muscles.  It slows head/helmet movement causing less damage to the rider.  Additionally, the Leatt neck brace supports and fastens to a chest protector.

A chest protector fits over the rider’s head, under the neck brace and connects at the sides with plastic clamps.  The purpose of the chest protector is to deflect debris such as rocks, sticks mud or anything else that may come flying toward the chest.  It provides safety for the chest region, ribs and abdomen, being constructed from hard molded, breathable, vented plastic.  It can assist in making a hard landing feel a little softer.  Different styles and colors are made to fit over or under a jersey depending on rider preference.

Jerseys are available in long and short sleeves, however, long sleeves offer more protection for your arms opposed to short sleeved jerseys.  Jerseys come vented, a good choice for warm weather riding or racing conditions, or non-vented, perfect for cool or cold weather.  Jerseys should fit loosely enough to allow for movement and under protection such as a chest protector.  Riding pants come in various styles with different protection factors.  Most trials and enduro riders choose the over the boot style riding pants.  This style is designed to keep water and other debris from getting inside your boots.  The original/regular style riding pants are the most popular and commonly seen.  This style of riding pant is tight around the bottom of your leg, this allows you to tuck your pants inside your boots.  Riding gloves are a very important piece of safety gear clothing.  Gloves should be fitted tightly around your hands but loose enough for movement, this should allow protection from blisters and extra grip on your handlebars.  Undershorts are made from a soft, think padding that serves to protect your inner/outer thighs and groin area.  These shorts are similar to baseball and football undershorts as well.  Riding socks protect your feet and legs from blisters that can be caused by other riding gear.  Socks should be fitted tightly around your feet and legs, and should be long enough to reach your mid-thighs so they can be folded back down over the knee braces.

Rider health and nutrition are key factors in off-road riding or racing safety.  Injuries can occur from dehydration and poor nutrition.  Getting enough sleep before riding for long periods of time will keep you focused, perhaps causing less accidents. Remember to always wear the proper riding gear and to always wear it correctly!