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Crash-involved motorcycle riders, even if they are wearing helmets, face a high injury risk, frequently associated with long-term or permanent disability. The effectiveness of protective garments, such as leather clothing, heavy boots etc., in terms of reducing the duration of hospitalization, disability to work and school, and the incidence of permanent physical defects is subject of this paper. A prospective study carried out in the Greater Munich Area indicates that for injured motorcyclists wearing motorcycle clothing, on average, the duration of hospitalization is diminished by 7 days, disability to work and school by 20 days, and the incidence of permanent physical defects as a consequence of the sustained injuries is reduced by 40%, compared to riders not wearing motorcycle clothing.

The accident data collection and the analysis methodologies applied in the Munich Area Seat Belt and Motorcycle Studies are reported. The effectiveness of injury reduction due to the use of seat belts and safety helmets is determined in correlation with the actual accident scene, the official accident statistics to transpone the results to the whole of the Federal Republic of Germany, and, in particular, with the total number of protected persons involved in accidents which would lead to non-minor injuries of non-protected occupants and motorcyclists, resp. Factors of influence on the effectiveness, such as accident type, accident locality and helmet loss, are discussed.

To assess the effectiveness of protective clothing, in particular of crash helmets, a nine-month accident field study was carried out, which covered non-minor injured helmeted and unhelmeted motorcyclists. Crash Helmets were found to reduce the number of non-minor injured riders at least 82% of the figure for unhelmeted riders. Depending on the motorcycle class, the type and locality of the accident, the risk abatement varies from 82% to 94%. The average head injury risk abatement for helmeted riders of standard motorcycles is about 94% when moderate and more severe head injuries are included, and 97% for severe, serious and fatal head injuries. With respect to accidents in which unhelmeted riders suffer non-minor injuries, crash helmets reduce the risk of suffering skull fractures, fractures and dislocations of the atlanto-occipital joint and cervical vertebrae by 97% to 98%, moderate cranial brain injuries by 84%, and more severe cranial brain injuries by 97%.

To assess the effectiveness of seat belts and the risk of adverse effects a 12-month accident field study was carried out, which covered all non-minor injured belted occupants. The criteria laid down were as comprehensive as possible to permit assessment in each case of whether or not the restraint system had reduced or possibly increased injury severity.