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The fake jackets that were seized in a police raid |
Fake jackets are safety danger for bikers
MOTORCYCLISTS are being warned to be on the lookout for fake jackets that offer “less protection than a cotton shirt”.
Trading Standards officers from Westminster Council discovered a batch of 350 counterfeit jackets which had their protective pads stuffed with flimsy foam, after swooping on a West End store
The jackets, branded Ferrari, Yamaha, RedBull and Honda were selling for £150 – almost the same as the genuine article which use high-density foam, rubber or plastic to soften the blow in case of a fall.
Laboratory tests revealed all of the jackets failed impact tests.
Genuine gear is expected to last between four and six seconds before tearing, but none of the fakes lasted longer than a second.
Sergeant Mick Wallace, from the Metropolitan Police’s Bikesafe team, said: “I’ve never seen anything of such poor quality being sold as a genuine motorbike jacket before. Genuine jackets are designed to protect flesh and reduce impact of a fall, but there’s no chance of that with these.
“Whether you ride for fun or as a professional, you should have the best protection you can afford.
“My advice to riders is that if you see an offer that’s too good to be true, it probably is.” |
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