Transport for NSW (TfNSW) marked the end of October as Motorcycle Awareness Month by releasing the latest Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program (MotoCAP) results and reminding riders of the need to ensure their gear is safety rated.
The Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said motorcycle riders were the most vulnerable road users, so protective safety gear could be a life-saver.
“More than 300 riders were killed on NSW roads over the past five years, and more than 12,400 were admitted to hospital with serious injuries,” Mr Toole said.
“Testing and improving the effectiveness of protective motorcycle clothing helps to reduce the risk of serious injury for riders, so we’re reminding riders to check out the latest results to help keep them safe,” he said.
Mr Toole said MotoCAP provided two separate star ratings for motorcycle clothing, one for protection and one for breathability.
Deputy Secretary for Safety, Environment and Regulation at TfNSW, Tara McCarthy said the latest results showed the protection rating for motorcycle jackets and pants was steadily improving.
“Gear that would score six out of 10 for impact protection was considered a good standard for jackets and pants a year ago, but now several items are rating nine or 10 out of 10 in this category,” Ms McCarthy said.
She said MotoCAP was developed by a team of road safety partners led by TfNSW and since its launch in September 2018 it had rated 64 pairs of pants, 125 jackets and 77 pairs of gloves.
The MotoCAP safety rating can be accessed at this PS News link.
