By riding a motorcycle, you automatically put yourself at a greater risk of being injured in the event of an accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in their studies that the most commonly injured body parts were the head and extremities. Wearing protective clothing can benefit you in multiple ways. For one, they offer a buffer from rain, snow and other environmental factors. Next, they will reduce your risk of injury and road rash during an accident. Lastly, if your clothing is brightly colored or has reflective properties, it can help by making you more visible to other drivers and in turn avoid an accident.

Wearing a helmet is by far the most beneficial pieces of equipment you can use. Head injuries are the leading cause of deaths in motorcycle accidents and helmets drastically reduce that risk. Using a helmet is required by law in the state of Washington but make sure you buy one that is approved by the Department of Transportation. The majority of unapproved, novelty helmets available offer very little protection in the event of an accident.

Since many of the motorcycles on the market do not come equipped with a windshield, it's essential to find other ways to protect your eyes from potential damage. The easiest way to protect your eyes is to find a helmet with a full face visor incorporated into its design. If your helmet doesn't have a shield, you can also wear protective eye goggles. Make sure that both your helmet or goggles are shatter-resistant and fog-proof. Wearing protection will cut down on damage to your eyes from debris and insects.

Wearing protective clothing will spare you a great amount of pain in the event that you're in an accident. Road rash is the abrasions caused by one's bare skin hitting the pavement in a crash. Leather is a popular material option for motorcycle clothing due to it's durable nature. Long pants will also help decrease your chances of road rash, but make sure they don't have any pieces dangling from them that could become tangled with the bike.

Gloves can make a big difference assuming that they're made of a heavy-duty material such as leather and that they have a grippy quality for grabbing onto the steering. Leather footwear can also be beneficial as long as it protects the ankles and lower legs as well as the feet. Stay away from wearing tennis shoes which don't provide any protection from impact.

Colorful clothing will help by making you much more visible to other motorists on the road. While it may not protect you directly from injury, it's probably the most important thing you can do to do avoid an accident from occurring in the first place. Bright colors like orange and yellow combined with reflective qualities are the most effective colors to wear. This is easily done by wearing a reflective vest over your clothing, but if you want to take it a step further you can also color your motorcycle and helmet with bright colors as well. On a motorcycle, you put yourself at a higher risk of being difficult to see by other drivers so its incredibly important to make yourself more visible.