More women’s jackets have been added to the MotoCAP safety ratings after concerns that women’s riding gear was underrepresented in the world-first safety initiative.
In fact, it took a year after the 2018 launch of the Australian program before any women’s jackets were added to the ratings.
Now six of the 13 latest jackets added to the list are women’s.
That brings the total of women’s jackets tested to 39, compared with 96 men’s jackets.
MotoCAP has tested 17 women’s pants and 43 men’s, while they have rated 37 pairs of gloves for women and 68 for men.
It should be noted that some of the gear, particularly gloves, is deemed unisex, so it has been counted twice as it classified as both men’s and women’s.
It may seem there is not a lot of women’s gear tested at 40% for jackets, 39.5% for pants and 54.4% in gloves.
However, the proportion is much higher than the proportion of female riders in the community which is estimated to be about 10-12%.
Dr Hurren with clothing testing machineDeakin University researcher Dr Chris Hurren says MotorCAP does not specifically select women’s or men’s gear for testing.
“We use a random database that suggests what to buy to the (secret) buyer in store,” he says.
“This particular buying run the app selected more women’s clothing.
“Often when an items of women’s clothing is suggested by the app it is not available in store so the buyer goes to the next option on the list.
“This particular run it looks like everything the app suggested was available in store.”
Dr Hurren worked with Dr Lliz de Rome and others to produce the protocol that is used by MotoCAP for their testing regime.
The new ratings can be viewed here.
International award
Last year, MotoCAP won a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) road safety award.
MotoCAP is a partnership between Transport for NSW, State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA), VicRoads, Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV), Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC), Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), Western Australian Police: Road Safety Commission, Department of State Growth, Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Australian Motorcycle Council and Accident Compensation Corporation in New Zealand.
Testing is carried out by the Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials on behalf of the MotoCAP partners.