'Make all motorcyclists wear protective clothing'

The sister of a motorcyclist who broke his thigh and collar bones in a crash that "could have been catastrophic" has called for mandatory safety clothing for bikers.

Kimberley Thompson, 23, was left "angry" with her brother Harry Pyett after he crashed on a country lane while wearing non-protective cargo trousers and trainers.

The 19-year-old, who did have a helmet and leather jacket on, crashed after his back wheel skidded on gravel as he went round a bend just outside Ipswich before two off-duty doctors rushed to his aid.

Miss Thompson of Hatfield Peverel, Essex, has launched a campaign to establish a new law to make it mandatory for all motorcyclists to wear safety leathers and boots.

In order for Miss Thompson's petition to be potentially debated by politicians in Parliament it will first need to receive 100,000 signatures.

According to Government data, in 2023, 315 motorcyclists were killed in Great Britain, while more than 5,400 were reported to have been seriously injured.

Miss Thompson told the BBC she believed enforcing a law would help reduce those figures, "keep everyone safe", and save bikers lives.

"I could not imagine getting in a car and not putting a seatbelt on and that's just like a flimsy bit of material that saves your life," she said.

"You see all these crashes on television but it is not until it happens to you that you think 'things need to change'.

"You might get a little bit hot and sweaty [wearing leathers] but if not you could lose all this skin on your legs – I get it's expensive, but your life is worth more than that."

Mr Pyett's mum, Vicki Pyett, has backed the campaign.

"If it stops just one person from not wearing protective clothes and potentially saves just one life, it's all worth it," she said.

"If you ride a bike or someone you love does, please nag them about wearing protective clothes - Harry's back was saved by the bike jacket that we nagged him to wear."

Mr Pyett crashed his bike on the B1078 in Hemingstone at about 15:30 BST on Easter Monday before paramedics and an air ambulance rushed to the scene.

He badly broke his femur – which is the strongest bone in the body and the hardest to break – and also shattered his collarbone.

He was rushed to Ipswich Hospital where he underwent surgery on his leg, with doctors using a titanium rod to realign the bone.

But, if not for the actions of the two off-duty doctors who protected him from oncoming vehicles after he came off his bike, Miss Thompson says the outcome could have been "much worse".

"What are the chances?" she said.

"Things like that just do not happen and we will forever be grateful to them.

"We keep saying to him somebody must have been watching over him because not everybody is that lucky."

Miss Pyett, who felt "empty and useless" after being told of the accident, says it will take her brother three months to recover from his injuries.

"I had visions of my brother lying on the side of the road in a mangled heap, I didn't know if he was alive, and I was scared for his life," Miss Pyett said.

"It just puts into perspective how delicate human life is – he was literally beaten by the ground.

"He realises how serious it could have been and it has been a big wake up call for him."

Since 2018 all elements of motorcycle clothing, apart from motorcycle helmets, must have a CE rating.

This means they comply with health, safety, and environmental protection requirements established by the European Union.

Class AAA is the highest possible level of protection a product can have, with CE-rated clothing being tested for everything from abrasion resistance and impact protection to seam strength.

However, there is currently no legal requirement to wear the protective clothing when riding.

In the UK it is law to wear a helmet while riding a motorbike and statistics show doing so can help prevent fatal injuries by 37%.

Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said wearing protective clothing "minimised the risk of fractures" and other serious injuries.

"It is really important people choose to wear motorcycle clothing," she told the BBC.

"And we would strongly support any measures that would encourage people to where the appropriate gear because it can reduce the chances of being more seriously injured.

"But that doesn't stop the crash happening in the first place and other measures such as extra training for motorcyclists and drivers could be introduced to reduce a chance of a crash actually happening."

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