Thermal subjective sensations of motorcyclists

Abstract

The purpose of motorcycle clothing is to protect the motorcyclist not only against weather conditions but also against an unforeseen contact with other objects. Nevertheless, the use of such clothing, especially in summer, is related to overheating of the motorcyclist's body. Therefore, it would be advisable to ensure that appropriate protection is not provided at the expense of disturbing the thermal balance. In order to explore the matter of overheating and a feeling of discomfort, research was carried out among 242 active motorcyclists. The results have revealed that the problem of discomfort occurs regardless of the type of motorcycle clothing used. The findings were confirmed by motorcyclists' subjective sensation. This provided the grounds to conclude that attention should be paid to the issue of thermal comfort and solutions should be looked for with respect to the construction of clothing itself and the applied materials. Simultaneously, the survey results showed the importance of knowledge about the impact of motorcycle clothing on the human body and a need for its dissemination in order to allow a conscious coexistence among road users.