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Australian research shows that more than 25 per cent of protective clothing sold to motorcyclists in Australia is substandard and can fail in crashes.
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By Bruce Newton
Your motorcycle is sliding up the road and you’re doing the same thing on your back.
You can feel the heat build-up, the coarseness of the road vibrating underneath you.
But it will depend on what you’re wearing if you can, within fractions of seconds, feel the road tearing into your skin as well.
Now’s the time when you congratulate yourself for putting on your protective pants, jacket and gloves, and your helmet of course, before hopping on the bike for the ride down to the shops.
Protective clothing is as vital in terms of safety for a motorcyclist as airbags are for anyone in a car. It cushions the blow and can make a huge difference in the levels of injuries suffered.
So what sort of clothing are we talking about? What should you look for when shopping? And why are some people choosing to ride unprotected?
The potential dangers of motorcycle riding are summed up in the statistics.
Motorcycles make up 4.5 per cent of Australia’s registered road fleet, yet riders comprise 21 per cent of road deaths, with 276 lives lost in 2024 – the highest number since 1989.
Males make up 94 per cent of motorcyclist deaths. The 40–64-year-old age group reported the greatest number of deaths followed by the 26-39 and 17-25 age groups.
In Western Australia, 40 motorcyclists were killed in 2024, the highest figure since 2016, and a further 246 were seriously injured.
Why are numbers so high and rising? Many sources cite inexperience as the biggest contributor to motorcycle crashes.
And in recent years there has been a significant rise in motorcycle registrations in Australia, suggesting more new riders on the road.
Yet as rider numbers rise, a NSW study found the use of protective clothing is in decline, with the proportion of riders wearing full protective gear dropping to just 7.4 per cent in 2025.
It is mandatory in Australia for riders to wear a helmet that meets the approved Australian standard, including for pillion passengers.
In Victoria, learners also must also wear a Hi-Viz top. NSW is intending to follow suit on that requirement. And in an Australian first, NSW is also going to make it mandatory for learner and provisional riders to wear gloves.
Along with gloves there are also specialist riding jackets, pants, boots and the inserts that go within them such as elbow, shoulder, knee, hip and back protectors. None of these items are mandatory in Australia.
There are some other countries where more is required. In Belgium, for example, it is specified protective clothing must be worn. In France and Spain gloves are mandatory.
A study of real-world motorcycle crashes conducted by Deakin University researcher Liz de Rome in 2011 found a significant reduction in the likelihood of a hospital admittance if a rider was wearing protecting clothing, particularly if it included protective inserts.
This equated to 23 per cent if a jacket was worn, 45 per cent for gloves, 40 per cent for pants and 46 per cent for boots.
To be clear, we’re talking about friction injuries, bruising and abrasions that result from a rider sliding across a road surface, which are the most common injuries.
WA crash data shows that single vehicle non-collision crashes are the most common crash type leading to motorcycle death and serious injury. These often involve a rider losing control and sliding across the road surface.
However, a sudden impact with a roadside barrier, a tree or another vehicle is going to result in more violent injuries, such as bone fractures and worse. Clothing is of much less help in that instance.
There are a variety of reasons why a rider chooses not to wear appropriate protective clothing.
Riding with a full layer of protective gear that is not vented or meshed can result in the rider becoming overheated.
Research has found it can be counter-productive for safety if a rider becomes heat-stressed, impacting both performance and reaction times.
Other factors include the inconvenience of simply having to dress in that much protective wear and also the cost, the latter applying especially for those who have bought a motorcycle on a budget.
Riders on a budget tend to be younger and may be new to motorcycles, and therefore more at risk of a crash.
Scooter riders may use less protective equipment due to the hop-on hop-off use of these types of vehicles.
Associate Professor Chris Hurren, who is chief scientist of the independent motorcycle protective clothing rating agency MotoCAP, has a realistic attitude to the amount of appropriate gear that should be worn by riders.
“I always say to the manufacturers when we work with them, try to get something that is both comfortable to wear and reasonable protection.
“You are better to be in a 3-star garment every time you hop on the motorbike than to have a 5-star pair of leather pants that lives forever in the cupboard.”
The MotoCAP agency conducts testing of motorcycle protective gear.
Backed by the Australian and New Zealand governments as well as private organisations since 2018, it was born out of a recognition that motorcycle protecting clothing needed to be of a consistent, high-quality standard and that riders needed a guide to make the safest and best choices.
The program rates gloves, jackets, pants, and protective inserts from one to five stars based on scientific protocols. It is currently considering rating boots as well.
Abrasion performance, the strength of seams and fastenings, breathability (heat), water resistance and the performance of the impact protectors in the gear, are all part of the testing protocols developed by Hurren and his team at Deakin Institute of Frontier Materials.
Think of the coarse chip roads we have in Australia versus the smooth tarmac Europeans ride on and you can understand why it’s important to have our own test standards.
Helmets are covered by separate Australian and European standards and also tested locally by MotoCAP’s related body, CRASH, which was established in 2009.
The two programs have been hosted on a joint website since 2023.
There is a separate European standard for gloves, shoes, pants, impact protectors, boots and jackets. But Hurren says there are some issues with abrasion testing for jackets and pants.
“We’re seeing numerically, from the analysis that we’re getting from MotoCAP results, that the (European) jackets and pants standard is not having a positive effect on protective gear at the moment,” he explains.
“Year-on-year for the last seven years the (European) A and AA protection levels of jackets and pants has gone down. The (European standard) used to be too strong and now it’s too weak.”
Overall, Australian research shows that more than 25 per cent of protective clothing sold to motorcyclists in Australia is substandard and can fail in crashes.
Riders shouldn’t necessarily expect that big name brands and a high price will always deliver a better result.
For example, MotoCAP has conducted testing of women’s protective stretched leggings that started becoming popular a few years ago.
“We’ve tested 18 now as part of the MotoCAP program and 14 of them get half-a-star,” Hurren says.
“Most of them you would be better to be in a pair of denim jeans with impact protectors than be in the leggings products.”
Beyond the star ratings it’s essential to pick the right gear for you. Some simple advice offered by MotoCAP includes:
Always try on your new item with other riding gear and on the bike before buying.
Go for bright clothing because it helps you to be seen on the road.
Leather and protective denim offer the best protection.
Textiles are often better for all-weather riding.
Don’t use riding shoes with laces as they can snag levers, brakes, chains and wheels.
The palm of gloves should have extra layers of material because this is often an area that scrapes along the road.
Ensure your gloves have good wrist restraints to stop them coming off in a crash.
The good news for riders is that materials development is making protective equipment lighter without having to lose effectiveness.
Impact protectors are a great example of this. They are very important because research shows that riders first make contact with the road via their shoulders, elbows, hips and knees.
Inserted into clothing at these key points, they are designed to deform under impact and spread impact energy. Where they were once chunky, hard plastics they are now light, thin and malleable rubber-like materials.
“Nowadays you can get a whole range of protective pants, hoodies and riding shirts that you couldn’t get 20 years ago,” says Hurren.
“You might be better to be in a riding shirt that has impact protectors for the elbows and shoulders on a really, really hot day than riding in a traditional textile jacket, because a traditional textile jacket may overheat you.”
MotoCAP also continues to campaign for a higher uptake of protective clothing among riders.
A lot of that promotion is via one-to-one contact with riders at major events like the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
Word-of-mouth recommendations between riders is one of the key ways gear gains a reputation and popularity.
Beyond that, MotoCAP wants its star rating system to become universal among clothing makers.
In the same way most car brands promote a 5-star ANCAP rating, so MotoCAP wants to see its ratings become a badge of honour for the clothing brands.
While that’s a work in progress, Hurren urges riders to let their fingers do the work when they start the process of buying new gear.
“We suggest riders go to motocap.com.au, select two or three options and then go into the store and try them on,” he says.
“It’s got to look right, and it’s got to feel right. Ideally, it’s got to be something you’re happy to put on every time you ride.”
