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Analysis of External Business Environment of a Lightweight Protective Clothing Manufacturing Venture
1. INTRODUCTION
The motorcycle market is growing with 55.7 million spent on motorcycles in 2006 (National Statistics). To place a product in the market an understanding of the needs of the user must be must be assessed. Every day about 3000 people die and 30000 are seriously injured on the world roads (Murray and Lopez). A disproportionate number are borne of low and middle income countries and vulnerable road user such as pedestrians, cyclists and riders of motorcycles and scooters (Nantulya V and Reich M.). In 2005 5939 motorcycle riders were injured in the UK and 569 died (Think! Motorcycle Safety). As such, motorcycles could be classed as dangerous vehicles. To reduce the risks faced many motorcycle riders choose to wear protective clothing. This can consist of gloves, boots, trousers, jackets and impact protectors or armour. The purpose of this report is to advice a university based research group on the market structure and key points of concern or opportunity within the motorcycle clothing market, and to advise on how to proceed with the possibility of starting a UK business. This will be done through the review of literature on protective motorcycle clothing.
1.1 PESTEL ANALYSIS
PESTEL analysis has been carried out on aspects on the motorcycle clothing market.
1. 1.1 POLITICAL
Many countries have legislation regarding the use of motorcycle helmets. American research has estimated that the use of a motorcycle helmet can reduce mortality rates by 20% (Branas and Knudson). While protective clothing is unlikely to prevent serious injury from impacts in a collision with another vehicle or fixed objects such as crash barriers or signposts, it can reduce gravel rash, torn or severed ligaments and some broken bones (de Rome and Stanford). Because of this is it not unlikely to see an increase in campaigns to promote the use of protective clothing amongst motorcycle riders.
1. 1.2 ECONOMICAL
The economic cost of motorcycle injury extends beyond the direct cost of damage to property, medical care and rehabilitation. In an increasing legislative environment there are legal compensation payment factors as well as on a macro-economic scale the possibility of productive life-year loss. It has been suggested that the the magnitude of impact that minor non-hospitalised injuries have over a lifetime is greater in terms of Quality Adjusted Life Years than for injuries resulting in death or hospitalisation (McClure and Douglas).
1. 1.3 SOCIO-CULTURAL
Although there are already many brands and types of motorcycle clothing in the marketplace not all riders use them. In a survey of motorcycle and All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) users it was found that while 75% said they always or almost always used a helmet only 47% said they always or almost always used protective clothing (R S Mangus). Because of this it will be necessary to choose an appropriate target demographic.
1.1.4 TECHNOLOGICAL
There have been many improvements in fabric technologies which deal with temperature. These include Phase Change Materials (PCM) which contain capsules of a material close to its melting point. When the rider is cold the capsules freeze, releasing energy and when the rider is hot the absorb it. This is due to the latent heat of fusion.
1.1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL
Motorcycles can be more economical then larger vehicles due to their smaller engine sizes. In an increasingly environmentally conscious environment, with rising fuel prices, it is feasible that more people will choose to start riding motorcycles. This is also implied by UK government statistics (Cars and motorcycles currently licensed and new registrations, 1961 to 2001: Social Trends 33).
1.1.6 LEGAL
European Personal Protective Equipment directive 89-686-EEC set minimum levels for the construction and test performance of all motorcycle gear that claims to provide protection from injury. This means any manufacturing will have to comply with the European directive to be sold in the UK. There are no such regulations for the US.
2 DISCUSSION
Although placement within a marketplace is important the features of a safety product should be first priority. If the research group is to release a product for motorcycle protection the ergonomics and functionality have to be clearly defined.
2.1 BODY PROTECTION
When introducing a protection product into a market it is important to have confidence that the product will provide protection to the areas that are expected to be injured. The pattern of injury for motorcycle rider has been consistent over many years (Figure 1). This has been studied in detail and as suck motorcycle protective clothing should protect in the vulnerable areas from the likely injuries they may receive whilst still allowing freedom of movement for the rider (Motorcycle Council of New South Wales). While some injuries caused by collision with other road users or static objects cannot be prevented, the severity of such injuries can be significantly reduced by wearing protective clothing. Other injuries can be caused by being thrown from the motorcycle. This causes severe abrasion due to contact with the road surface. The areas affected by these types of injuries are shown in Figure 2. This means the protective clothing must be able to withstand both abrasion and reduce impact damage in some areas but be flexible and well vented in others. The abrasion resistance must be greater than 4 seconds, it has been found that 200gsm denim, standard jean material will only last 0.8 seconds (SATRA) so any lightweight material may have to be layered, possibly with other materials. The abrasion resistance is very important as it reduces the severity of cuts, abrasions and serious skin and muscle loss from sliding across a road surface. It can also reduce infection from the road surface (Huang and Preston). Figure 3 shows how likely protective clothing is to reduce or prevent injury. Head injuries have a high rate of prevention due to the high usage of helmet. Hands and feet are protected through the use of gloves and boots. This means upper and lower torso protection comes from clothing. Lower torso protection is mainly reductive due to the increased chance of injury from collision with a car (Otte and Middelauve).
2.2 WEATHER PROTECTION AND ERGONOMICS
One of the reasons for wearing lighter protective clothing is that high temperatures make riding in thick clothing uncomfortable. The weather in the UK is highly changeable and so protective clothing must be able to also cope with low temperatures and rain. It has been found that physical stress due to heat, cold or discomfort is tiring and distracting. You will be less likely to be involved in a crash if you are comfortable and alert (Motorcycle Council of New South Wales).
2.2.1 COLD STRESS
There are obvious affects of cold such as loss of feeling in the hands and feet reducing ability to operate controls and shivering which can affect balance but there is evidence a lower core temperature can affect decision making (Woods). This could make a rider more aggressive on the road and more likely to take risks which could result in an accident. The simplest method to reduce the affect of cold is to give the clothing insulation by trapping a layer of air between the clothing and the rider's skin. If this air stays in place it will warm to the rider temperature and keep them warm. If air is flushed though the suit it will cool the rider and also evaporate perspiration causing the rider to become dehydrated. To combat this the clothing should have close fitting openings and any fastening points should be covered to prevent wind entry. The clothing should be a snug fit as, even if the entry points such as neck and wrists are tight, wind battery can cause the jacket to push out warm air. It should not be too tight however as the clothing must not restrict movement or blood flow.
2.2.2 WET STRESS
Water conducts heat at a much higher rate than air. This means it will cause wet a rider to overheat much more quickly in hot weather (if the water is kept in contact with the skin because of a non-breathable material) and cool down much more quickly in cold weather. Heavy jackets made of leather can absorb large amounts of water and so a waterproofing material should be put over the top. The material should be breathable to allow avoid perspiration building up. This would cause the same issues of temperature conductivity as rain or wet clothing. A different method of moving water away from the skin is by using clothing made up of wicking membranes which insulate and draw water away from the skin.
2.2.3 HEAT STRESS
While in cold weather it is important to reduce ventilation in hot weather ventilation can reduce perspiration and therefore reduce temperature and dehydration. This can be achieved by having vents on the forward facing areas on clothing. These areas may have to be closed in cold weather and so closable flaps may be used. It is also important to note that any ventilation should not impact on impact protection and any flaps should be secured to avoid flapping in the wind which can cause irritation and distraction.
2.2.4 DISCOMFORT STRESS
Riding is an athletic pursuit, so clothing must move freely with your body (Motorcycle Council of New South Wales). If there are any constrictions or pinching in the clothing it will cause the rider discomfort and distract the rider, in turn causing lessened concentration. In extreme cases constriction can also cause loss of blood flow to extremities such as arms and legs which can lead to cramping. For this reason the rider must be able to choose clothing that fits them comfortably.
2.3 CONSPICUITY
While protection is an important reason to wear motorcycle clothing prevention is also significant. In a study vehicle on vehicle collisions accounted for 24% of accidents (de Rome). One of the reasons for this is that people driving cars are not used to seeing motorcycles on the road, and are not used to the manoeuvres that they undertake. To compensate for this riders can wear reflective or brightly coloured clothing. By incorporating reflectors into motorcycle clothing studies have concluded that this could reduce the risk of an accident by 37%.
2.4 FURTHER ANALYSIS OF KEY PESTEL AREAS
The introduction introduced a basic PESTEL analysis on motorcycle clothing however some areas are not as important as others and some areas need more expansive investigation.
2.4.1 CULTURAL
Whilst the advantages of wearing protective clothing are clear, not all riders choose to wear them. In some studies issued through motorcycle clubs the occurrences of wearing a jacket were as high as 97%, and leg protection 45% (de Rome) whereas in other another survey passed to ATV and motorcycle at recreational sites found only 47% overall wore protective clothing and only 26% of people in the 16-21 age range (R S Mangus). This shows that people may not want to wear protective clothing, particularly the young. This may be for fashion reasons and also protective clothing may be inappropriate or uncomfortable for general day wear when the rider has arrived at their destination (de Rome). The high differences between members of motorcycle clubs who where a jacket and those who wear leg protection is contrary to researched data where leg injuries occurred in 74% of accidents whereas arm and chest injuries only occurred in 56% and 21% respectively (Figure 1).
2.4.2 ECONOMICAL
Protective clothing suits can be sold from 700 to 2000 (Motorcycle Council of New South Wales). This represents a large investment, even compared to a motorcycle, although the cost of this varies in price hugely depending on size of engine, manufacturer and worldwide location. The profit margin on the clothing will be defined by the cost of manufacture. As there are directives on the quality of the clothing the manufacture will have to be to a high standard and it is possible prototypes will have to be made before the product can be sold. The driving force of the product will be sales. If someone is wearing protective clothing and is involved in an accident they will on average spend 7 days less time in hospital and return to work 20 days earlier compared to an unprotected rider (Schuller, Beir, and Spann). This represents a significant amount in lost income and also does not represent the loss in Quality Of Life Years.
2.4.3 POLITICAL
It has been law for many years to use safety equipment such as seatbelts in cars and helmets on motorcycles. This is because of campaigns highlighting the dangers associated with not using these pieces of equipment. Recent motorcycle safety campaigns have been targeted at both urban commuters and leisure riders (Think! Motorcycle Safety). For urban commuters the campaign focused on car drivers and encouraged them to check more thoroughly for motorcyclists. For leisure riders the campaign was an official sponsor of Bennetts British Superbike Championship. This included advice from professional riders on safety and included the appropriate use of protective clothing.
2.4.4 LEGAL
The European Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive, 1989 requires that any clothing or personal equipment sold as providing protection from injury must comply with the relevant European Standard. Proof of compliance requires the gear to be independently tested and certified. The manufacturer is then issued with a CE (Conformite Europeen) label which indicates that the item conforms with the relevant European standard (Motorcycle Council of New South Wales). It could be assumed by many motorcycle users that established brands always construct equipment that will protect vulnerable areas and have a high level of manufacture however in abrasion tests conducted on 29 different types and grades of motorcycle leather, only 17 passed for use in Zones 1 and 2 (Figure 2) (SATRA). This could lead the manufacturer to be liable for damages due to injury and loss of income due to rehabilitation and time away from work.
3 SUMMARY
Limitations of market
Choice of demographic
Design as or more important than improvement
4 RECOMMENDATIONS
The design must be done professionally to increase potential
Reference List
- Cars and motorcycles currently licensed and new registrations, 1961 to 2001: Social Trends 33. Department of Transport . 2008.
- Think! Motorcycle Safety. Think! Road Safety . 2008.
- ACEM. In-Depth investigation of accidents involving powered two-wheelers. Association of European Motorcycle Manufacturers . 2008.
- Branas, C. C. and Knudson, M. M. Helmet laws and motorcycle rider death rates. Accident Analysis & Prevention . 2001.
- de Rome, L. The injury reduction benefits of motorcycle protective clothing. Motorcycle Safety Forum . 2006.
- de Rome, L. Survey of motorcyclists and their safety initiatives. LdeR Consulting. 2008.
- de Rome, L and Stanford, G. Motorcycle Protective Clothing. Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference. 2003.
- Huang, B and Preston, J. A Literature Review on Motorcycle Collisions. Transport Studies Unit, Oxford University . 2004.
- McClure, R. J. and Douglas, R. M. The Public Health Impact of Minor Injury. Injury Analysis and Prevention . 1996.
- Motorcycle Council of New South Wales. Safer Equipment. Motorcycle Council of New South Wales . 2008.
- Murray, C and Lopez, A. Global health statistics: a compendium of incidence, prevalence and mortality estimates for over 200 conditions. Boston: Harvard University Press. 1996.
- Nantulya V and Reich M. The neglected epidemic: road traffic injuries in developing countries. British Medical Journal . 2002.
- National Statistics. Product sales and trade - Motorcycles. 2006.
- Otte, D and Middelauve, V. Quantification of Protective efforts of Special Synthetic Protectors in Clothing for Motorcycles. International RCOIB Conference of the Biomechanics of Impacts . 1987.
- R S Mangus. Current helmet and protective equipment usage among previously injured ATV and motorcycle riders. C J Simons, L E Jacobson, G A Gomez, and E W Streib. Injury Prevention . 2004.
- SATRA. Motorcycle Impact Abrasion Testing. SATRA Technology Centre. DTI Battran Project No: 712000. Unpublished report. 2002.
- Schuller, E, Beir, G, and Spann, W. Disability and impairment of protected and unprotected motorcycle riders. Proceedings of the SAE International Congress and Exposition - Crash Impairment and Disability: Long Term Effects . 1986.
- Woods, R. I. Cooling of Motorcyclists in various clothing during winter in Britain. Ergonomics . 9-9-1983.
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