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I suppose I should chip in. Waiting at lights to turn right about 11pm on a Saturday night (many years ago). Drunk driver swerved into the turning lane and hit me from behind doing about 50km/h. I had just enough time to snick 1st and twist the throttle before impact. Bike (Bultaco 360) stood up and I was standing on the pegs at impact. Seat and rear suspension took the hit (otherwise I don't think I'd be here to write this). Bike then went under the car. I landed on my back on his bonnet, smashed the windscreen with the back of my helmet (from here I don't know what happened, but the witness described it this way to the cops). Helmet smashing windscreen pivoted and twisted me and I rolled over onto the roof on my stomach, slid back across roof then over the boot-lid and onto the road. From what the driver behind told me later, my face hit the tar hard. I don't remember.
Good full-face helmet. Heavy touring jacket, good boots and gloves, jeans.
Injuries.... bonnet decoration gored my thigh (old Valiant) - 8 stiches, one loose tooth and a chin that felt like I'd gone 10 rounds with someone big. And lost. Nerve and tendon damage to right wrist, but no break. Later, two black eyes which matched the black chin and fat lip (where I bit it). Dislocated right shoulder and a damn sore neck (which I'm lucky I didn't break).
State of gear after. Jeans shredded where the bonnet deco tore thru (if I'd been wearing leathers, this would have been just a bruise), Helmet chin piece cracked (did it's job), deep slashes in the back of the leather jacket where the wiper had passed beneath (geeze those things must be sharp!) and about 50 nasty cuts in jacket from windscreen glass trapped under me when I was sliding over the roof etc. That jacket saved me from some horrific injuries. If that had been a t-shirt, I would have been in a heap of trouble. Shudder to think.
Boots and gloves were fine.
Good full-face helmet. Heavy touring jacket, good boots and gloves, jeans.
Injuries.... bonnet decoration gored my thigh (old Valiant) - 8 stiches, one loose tooth and a chin that felt like I'd gone 10 rounds with someone big. And lost. Nerve and tendon damage to right wrist, but no break. Later, two black eyes which matched the black chin and fat lip (where I bit it). Dislocated right shoulder and a damn sore neck (which I'm lucky I didn't break).
State of gear after. Jeans shredded where the bonnet deco tore thru (if I'd been wearing leathers, this would have been just a bruise), Helmet chin piece cracked (did it's job), deep slashes in the back of the leather jacket where the wiper had passed beneath (geeze those things must be sharp!) and about 50 nasty cuts in jacket from windscreen glass trapped under me when I was sliding over the roof etc. That jacket saved me from some horrific injuries. If that had been a t-shirt, I would have been in a heap of trouble. Shudder to think.
Boots and gloves were fine.