Mechanisms of cervical spine fractures and soft tissue injuries of motorcyclists for the assessment of the effectiveness of back protectors

An in-depth study of real accidents involving motorcycles wearing back protectors is described herein. A total of 446 injured motorcyclists and 259 other motorised two-wheelers were chosen randomly and assessed. The effectiveness of these back protectors were qualified by employing the degree of injury sustained by the motorcyclists. Furthermore, the analysed real data were also compared to those currently documented in open literature. Overall, the study and assessment show that there is no high risk for fracture of the spine, and probably exists only a 0.8% injury. It was also deduced that 13.4% of motorcyclists suffered soft tissue injuries to the back. Based on the assessment carried out under this research work, a call for motorcyclists to wear back protectors is being made.