Your motorcycle helmet is the most important part of your PPE (personal protective equipment) as it protects the most vital part of your body – the brain.

Despite huge medical advancement in treating motorcycle injuries, once the brain is injured there is very little that can be done to reverse the damage to it. Traumatic brain injury is the most common type of injury seen in a serious or fatal motorcycle crash.

Head injuries can be long-term and life changing.

Making sure the helmet is strapped or properly fastened to your head is the most important action you take before setting off on your bike.

Over 48% of killed and seriously injury motorcycle crashes record that the helmet came off from the rider's head at the point of the collision, this is mostly due to the fact that the helmet was not strapped on or properly fastened when the rider started their journey.

Many helmets feel tight around the head and some riders believe that this alone will keep the helmet on the head if they are involved in a road traffic collision.

This is NOT the case, and every helmet needs to be fastened properly to protect your head (and your brain) every time you go out.

Stopping your motorbike quickly and safely is vitally important. Brakes can get damaged, worn and need you to check them and do basic maintenance on a regular basis.

Watch the video below to learn how:

As soon as the weather gets better NYRF members see riders wearing shorts and t-shirts when riding their bikes, this is NOT PPE (personal protective equipment)!

You never set out on your journey expecting to come off your bike and end up sliding along the road but every day, right across the country, many of you end up in Emergency Departments having done just that.

Landing on the road is bad enough but most riders will slide down the road due to the momentum of the motorcycle as you part company. This is where the body's largest organ which covers us all, the skin, takes the hit.

Road rash (as it is sometimes called) is where the skin grazes and cuts as you slide along the rough road and can be as bad as third degree burns as the layers of the skin are easily removed by the road surface. Road rash can cover large areas of your body, is very painful and takes a long time to heal, often requiring skin grafts and long periods off work to mend.

Never be tempted to just ‘nip out’ on your bike wearing inadequate clothes, it’s simply not worth the risk.

Proper PPE is available from many different outlets, can be low cost but still offer good protection, can still make you look good whilst looking after you on your ride.

Being seen is vital when you are out and about sharing the road with other road users. Many collisions occur because one or more parties ‘fail to see’ each other, so anything you can do to increase your visibility on the road such as having your lights on, will help.

Checking your lights is simple, make sure you do front and back.

With global warming and the different weather that can descend even on summer days in the UK, you may need your lights on at any time so make sure they are clean & working all year round.