Motorbikes and two wheelers are accident prone vehicles when compared to four wheel vehicles which have great stability due to their four point ground contact. The biker is unprotected on all sides and in case of a minor hit, looses his balance and skids off, sometimes throwing the biker in the line of other approaching vehicles. The gentleman whose hand is shown above was involved in one such accident where he swerved to avoid another lane changing car and skidded. His hand was dragged against the road and the friction produced heat which ended in a burn. The burns shown above is referred to as a 'friction burn'. Friction burns are caused by the skin friction with fast moving objects like wheels, machinery etc which generate heat. In addition often there is a trauma or injury element involved. Therefore the surgeon must address both these issues- treat the injury part like a laceration or injury that needs to be repaired surgically and at the same time treat the burn. To read more on friction burns -
http://asktheburnsurgeon.blogspot.in/2009_12_20_archive.html
Two wheelers like motorbikes need to be made more safe. Helmets can help to lessen the damage to the head but the body is still in the line of fire. If we can have something that covers the top bottom and sides of the rider, then we can protect his body better. Further if we can provide a mechanism for four wheels to pop out and touch the roads in case of an imminent danger and be pulled back in when the danger is past, then the rider can enjoy the fun of being on a motor bike at the same time have the safety of a four wheel vehicle.Those in this industry have a moral responsibility to provide and improve these safety measures!!!
an original article from @asktheburnsurgeon+
