California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez with Leigh Silver at Galaxystorm Radio Studios in Hollywood, CA studios.

Leathers – Many people think that motorcycle riders wear leathers to look cool. Believe it or not, many motorcycle riders think this as well.

Long ago our motorcycle forefathers realized that leather not only offered protection from road rash in case of an accident, but it also provides a great amount of warmth and protection from the elements when riding in the wind and the cold.

Leather acts as a second skin. If you have an accident and you are wearing leathers, chances are that the leathers will take the brunt of the punishment.

If you have ever suffered road rash (road rash is the term used to describe what happens to your skin when it scrapes against the pavement in a motorcycle accident.) then you know full well what I am talking about.

Road rash usually results in permanent scarring, and in some cases requires skin grafts to correct. I have seen accidents where the skin and muscle tissue was rubbed all the way down to the bone.

I am as guilty as everyone else who has ridden without leathers. In the accident that I was in in Palm Springs I was wearing a T-Shirt and Jeans. Yes I suffered from minor road rash on the side of my body where it hit the ground. Had I been wearing a leather jacket at the time, I probably would have just been a little sore.

I love to ride with just a t-shirt on in the hot California summer. I have even ridden with no shirt on.

However, for the same reasons I decided to start wearing a full face helmet, I now will not ride unless I am wearing a leather jacket. Yes, even in the hot California Summer.

It’s a matter of common sense. You need to ask yourself a simple question; am I willing to risk my skin and muscle just to be a bit more comfortable?

The good news is that many manufacturers now have leather jackets that are built for hot weather, and have ventilation slots or micro holes that let the air in while still protecting you. Some jackets even come with Kevlar inserts for the elbows, back, and shoulders for even more protection.

The choice is yours. I highly recommend always wearing a leather jacket while riding.

Leather Pants – For the same reason I recommend wearing a leather jacket while riding, I also highly recommend wearing leather pants or chaps while riding. It offers the best protection for your legs. The second best alternative is Denim Jeans. Do not be one of those fools you see riding around in shorts, that it unless you are willing to loose all of the skin and muscle off of your legs in case of a crash!

Leather Gloves – Human beings instinctively throw their hands out when they are falling in an attempt to brace their fall. This too happens in motorcycle accidents. You know what a paper cut feels like, try to imagine how bad you would feel if you had road rash on your hands? Does not sound appealing does it. Leather gloves serve the same purpose as a leather jacket, and leather pants, to protect your hands in case of an accident. They also serve another purpose, to protect you hands from the constant friction and fatigue that is involved in motorcycling generally.

As you know, on a motorcycle you are constantly using your right hand to throttle up and down, and to brake, and you are constantly using you left hand to pull the clutch in and out. Without gloves you hands can quickly feel raw, and fatigue sets in faster.

I use two sets of full leather gloves depending on what type of weather I am riding in. I use a non-insulated light leather pair of gloves for hot and fair weather riding, and I wear full 3m insulated water-proof “Gauntlets” in cold weather. Gauntlets are a style of glove that has a large leather piece that partially covers the forearm over your jacket sleeve. In cold weather that piece of leather really makes a difference.

Whatever type of leather glove you use, I highly recommend that you always wear a set of leather gloves that cover your entire hand while riding. There are gloves that also offer Kevlar protection in the knuckles and palm area of the hand.

You may have seen the half gloves that some people wear. They do work to a certain extent on the fatigue factor, (except for the clutch, and right front brake part.) However, they are pretty much useless for hand protection. I know, I used to wear them.

After my experience dealing with motorcycle accidents as a biker lawyer, I have switched to wearing full hand protection, and I recommend that you do too.

Motorcycle Riding Boots – A good pair of leather motorcycle riding boots is MANDATORY. I recommend obtaining boots specifically designed for motorcycle riding, and are of the type the covers your calf muscle. (Full size boots) There are many types of boots out there. I would recommend a boot that is waterproof, oil proof, with steel toes, and a squared front.

I have personally had many objects hit my boots while riding, such as rocks, road debris, etc. I suffered no damage to my feet because the boots protected me.

Furthermore, everytime you come to a stop while riding your motorcycle your feet hit the ground. Sometimes your feet drag when coming to a stop or accelerating. You use your feet to back out of a parking space and/or to park. Your boots are a critical part of your necessary riding gear.

If you go down, your boots can protect you from having your foot amputated in an accident, and protect you from serious foot and ankle injuries. Everytime I see someone riding a motorcycle in thongs, sandals, or tennis shoes, I would like to shout out to that person; “are you crazy?”

I have seen too many motorcycle accident scenes with tennis shoes laying in the road at the scene of the accident. A good motorcycle boot will stay on your foot in case of an accident; tennis shoes, sandals, and thongs will not.

Another huge advantage to having good motorcycle boots is protection from the weather. Your feet are exposed to the full elements of the weather in which you are riding. In cold weather you will thank god that you have a nice pair of warm boots to keep your feet happy. There is noting worse than having your feet go numb in cold weather because you are not wearing the proper riding boots.

Don’t skimp, go out and get a great pair of riding boots.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. , Copyright 2006