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The topic of safety equipment is not highly contested, however in many cases it is highly disregarded.

Safety equipment is not only for a rider to protect himself in case of an accident. It is also for the safety of other riders so you are able to recover from a minor accident and ensure you are not creating a danger by laying on the track in pain.

This article will explain some of the safety equipment available and their benefits.

1. Helmet
This one is quite obvious. A helmet is used to protect your head in case of an accident. In our sport, a full face helmet should be required. A DOT rating should be mandatory, however some situations may require a SNELL rating. SNELL helmets typically cost 2 to 3 times as much as a DOT helmet.

2. Elbow pads
Hard shell elbow pads will prevent you from breaking your elbow in case of a fall or slide. Of course they will also allow you to keep the skin on your elbow as well.

3. Knee pads
Hard shell knee pads will help keep your skin and prevent injuries to your knees. Knee injuries are very painful and quite often are accompanied by a trip to the xray lab.

4. Sliders
Personally I think all riders should replace their knee pads with sliders. Sliders are a knee pad and a shin pad in one piece. These allow users to literally slide on their knees without injuring themselves.

5. Shoes
Leather shoes or boots are best, as they will accept more punishment than cloth and rubber runners. Socks are a must.

6. Gloves
Gloves may not prevent all the hand injuries that are possible, but they will help to prevent losing skin and possibly help to prevent receiving a burn in case of a mistaken touch to a hot exhaust pipe.

7. Jacket
A jacket is a must, as it will be ripped away before your skin in case of an accident. This is yet one more layer of protection for a rider. A denim jacket will offer some protection, while a leather jacket should let you keep all of your skin.

8. Racing suits
There are a number of companies that offer racing suits. Technologies differ, with some mainly padded leather all the way to systems that have replaceable plates in them for protection.

9. Mouth piece
So far I haven't seen any racers using a mouth piece. While it's true that if you are wearing a helmet you shouldn't be able to knock out any teeth. There is still the possibility of biting your tongue in an accident or chipping your teeth against themselves.

10. Fire extinguishers
It's highly unlikely that a fire will break out in our sport, however teams should have a few fire extinguishers available in case. Fuel spillage while refuelling is the biggest danger.

This article was written by Bruce Peresky for pocketbikeforum.com. Copying is permitted provided you give credit to http://www.pocketbikeforum.com

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