Also in this section

• Road Traffic Injury
• China Seatbelt Intervention
• Development, Implementation & Evaluation of an Intervention to Increase the Use of Seatbelts in Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Driver Distraction and Road Crashes
• The GEAR Study
• Heavy Vehicle Study
• Mobile Phone Use and Road Crashes
• Motorcycle Crashes in Sydney, Australia
• Motorcycle Helmet Use and Risk Factors for Helmet Non-use Among Motorcyclists in China
• Motorcycle Helmet Use in Vietnam: Prevalence, Barriers to Use and Policy Implications
• Novice Rider Survey
• Passenger Carriage and Road Crashes
• Policy Pathways: a stakeholder analysis of the Australian road safety research-to-policy process
• Systematic Reviews of Interventions in Motorcycle Safety
• Young Driver Cohort Study - DRIVE

The GEAR Study

Providing Australian riders with better information about protective clothing

Over 4500 motorcyclists are hospitalised each year in Australia as a result of road crashes.

Protective clothing has great potential in reducing rider injury in crashes, however there are no enforceable protective clothing standards in Australia and the research currently available was conducted on older generations of protective wear. Usage patterns suggest that many riders are not aware or are not convinced of the potential benefits of protective clothing.

This study will look at the association between the use of protective clothing in motorcycle crashes and the severity and long-term consequences of any injuries sustained. It will provide Australian riders with better information about the protective clothing they wear.

This will be the first study worldwide to distinguish between different qualities of protective clothing and to examine the role of impact protectors (such as back protectors) in preventing injury. It is also unique in including all riders involved in motorcycle crashes - those who escaped serious injury and those hospitalised.

Method

The GEAR Study is a one year prospective cohort study of motorcyclists in road crashes in the ACT, to identify the associations between usage/ non-usage of motorcycle protective clothing and injury and subsequent disability.

Two hundred motorcyclists who have crashed in the ACT will be recruited through Emergency Department presentations and from motorcycle repair services. Injured and uninjured motorcyclists will be interviewed in hospital or at home about the crash, their protective clothing (if any), and their injuries. Objective injury details and injury severity scores will be obtained from hospital records.

Participants will be contacted three times. There will be an initial face-to-face interview and then two follow-up surveys. The follow up surveys designed to examine their recovery progress and quality of life following the crash will be mailed to participants approximately one and six months later. The frequency and severity of injuries and post crash recovery and impairment will be compared for protected and unprotected riders.

Status

The GEAR study is currently recruiting participants. More information on participation is available in the recruitment brochure:

GEAR Study Recruitment Brochure

Institute Investigators

• Liz de Rome
• Rebecca Ivers

Collaborators

• The Canberra Hospital

Funding Agencies

• Swann Insurance (Australia)