How Crash Absorb and other protective clothing works

Wearing protective clothing is vital to motorcycle safety - but how much do you know about how it actually works?

One material that you might have come across in Dainese clothing in particular is known as Crash Absorb. This fabric is made of elastic-visco nitrile rubber and has been designed to offer the perfect balance of protection and comfort.

Another advantage of Crash Absorb is the fact that it is water-repellent, making it particularly handy when riding in wet weather.

You may find some Dainese items of clothing featuring Crash Absorb fabric come with internal Nidaplast inserts to provide a good level of impact absorption.

Wearing the appropriate protective clothing, such as a Dainese back protector, can help protect vulnerable areas like the kidneys and spine.

Spine and lumbar protectors will cushion you should you land on any sharp edges, like the pavement.

Some of the most important places to wear Dainese body armour and similar products are the extremities of the body, such as the shoulders, hips, knees and elbows.

One of the best products for clothing is leather - denim may look cool, but it won't stop your skin from suffering abrasions if you do come off your bike.

Leather made specifically for bikers tends to be thicker than standard leather and can offer much greater protection than denim.

You might also be tempted to invest in a one-piece suit for safety, as this can be better than different trousers and a jacket, as these may separate if you have an accident.

When it comes to gloves and racing suits, it is important to make sure that your equipment comes with well placed sliding materials, such as plastic pucks and metal rivets, so that if you do have a crash, you slide rather than roll. This will help you to avoid sustaining any serious injuries.

You should also make sure that your protective clothing comes with a CE mark, which means it has been tested by an independent organisation and meets set standards of safety.

When it comes to crash helmets, doing some research will throw up the fact that motorcycle headgear need to be well designed to reduce head injuries should an accident take place.

They help to spread the impact, thanks to a hard outer casing, while the soft inner lining absorbs the energy created when the head hits a hard object.

Casings tend to be made of fibreglass or injection-molded plastic, while the inside lining is typically made from styrofoam. The lining on the interior crumples on impact, so you must always make sure you replace your helmet if you do have a crash.

The lining crushes gradually, which dissipates and reduces the energy of the blow, thus increasing the time it takes for the rider's head to come to a stop. In turn, the outer casing will help to spread the impact and reduce the damage done in any one place.

By law, you have to wear a helmet when taking a motorbike out on the road and all helmets in the UK have to either carry the BSI Kitemark and comply with set British standards, or meet UNECE regulations.

Alternatively, they need to live up to any standard accepted by the European Economic Area and carry the equivalent of the BSI Kitemark.

Bear all of this in mind when browsing motorbike sales and specialist clothing shops, and you should find that you're as safe as possible while out on the roads.