Doc says shorts, slippers are deadly for bikers

Shorts and slippers could be costing motorcyclists their limbs and sometimes, their lives.

That's the urgent warning from consultant orthopaedic surgeon Dr Cary Fletcher. With most crash victims turning up at emergency rooms in shorts and slippers, Fletcher told THE STAR that it's time to rethink what's acceptable riding gear and to consider making protective wear, other than just helmets, mandatory by law. Fletcher, who works at the St Ann's Bay Regional Hospital, and serves as an injury advisor to the National Road Safety Council, explained that the connection between clothing and injury severity is undeniable.

"Ideally, riders should be wearing proper protective gear, but at the bare minimum your skin ought to be covered, and you should wear at least shoes and long pants," Fletcher told THE STAR. "The shorts and slippers attire was what was accounting for very severe injuries that we saw."

Research conducted at the St Ann hospital, reviewed 155 cases of motorcyclists injured over a two-year period. Among those, a staggering 75 per cent required hospitalisation and more than half needed surgery. Lower limb injuries accounted for 55 per cent of the cases, and Fletcher noted that the lack of proper clothing directly contributed to the severity of those wounds. Equally troubling was the low rate of helmet use. Only 29 per cent of injured riders were wearing a helmet at the time of their crash, and 90 per cent of those who sustained head injuries had not been wearing one.

"Those who had a licence and insurance were far more likely to wear a helmet," Fletcher pointed out. "But overall, helmet use is still far too low."

Though his study didn't formally track the exact percentage of riders wearing minimal gear, he said it was an overwhelmingly common and concerning trend.

"It was very, very common. This was not something we captured in the questionnaire, but it was a repeated finding," he said. Fletcher emphasised that the lack of formal rider training is another contributor to poor safety habits. Out of the entire study population, only three individuals had received formal training.

Fletcher, who is also a member of the National Helmet Coalition Committee, is now advocating for increased access to riding schools, better enforcement, and consideration of legal reforms.

"Formal training helps to change riders' mindsets and increases acceptance of safety gear," he said. "We've seen areas like Westmoreland reduce fatalities when formal training was available." He also supports legislation that could mandate basic protective clothing for motorcyclists, in much the same way that helmets are currently required.

"We need to move beyond just mandating helmets. Proper attire should be a requirement too, because we're seeing the consequences in the hospitals every day."