Why is there hesitation to wear safety gear on motorcycles?

Written by: Jessica L. Phillips

You probably see them all the time on California roadways. That is motorcyclists speeding by wearing no safety gear. When you think about how risky and dangerous that is, it can make your blood run cold. A motorcycle offers no protection from the outside world. In an accident, the rider will be thrown off. He or she will come in contact with something that will cause serious injuries. The rider may skid along the pavement or hit a tree. In any case, without protective gear, the rider is essentially looking at death or at least a very serious injury if he or she has an accident. So, you may wonder why do those on motorcycles not wear safety gear? 

Forbes explains that despite the risks of not wearing protective gear, many riders do not wear it because they do not like how it looks. That seems very silly when such gear could save their lives, but people are too worried about how they look to consider the danger of their decision. 

Proper safety gear includes thick jackets and pants, helmets, gloves, boots and reflective gear. Safety gear not only protects your body in a crash but it also can prevent an accident from occurring. Specifically, wearing reflective gear allows you to be more easily seen by other motorists on the roads.  

People who do wear safety gear say they usually only started to do so because they knew someone killed in an accident where gear could have saved his or her life or they had an accident themselves and gotten lucky. This information is for education and is not legal advice.