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FEATURE<br />
THE CREATOR<br />
Surgeon Dr Chris Leatt is the<br />
founder of the Leatt company and<br />
famously produced prototypes<br />
of his first brace after the tragic<br />
accident to a friend, Alan Selby,<br />
while road racing in his native<br />
South Africa. The Leatt brace first<br />
became part of the off-road scene<br />
in 2006 and now has seven different<br />
versions of the protection that<br />
has progressed hugely in the last<br />
thirteen years. Leatt’s research and<br />
development from their lab near<br />
Cape Town has led onto a raft of<br />
other safety innovations when it<br />
comes to knee braces, helmets and<br />
body protection. We emailed him<br />
for some comments based on the<br />
collection of comments from riders<br />
in this article…<br />
Is neck protection a victim of the<br />
times? Of being a ‘fad’? Why do<br />
you think it is not being embraced<br />
as much compared to ten years<br />
ago?<br />
I think there are two elements at<br />
play here: one science, the other<br />
psychology. Considering the test<br />
data and significant accident statistics<br />
with & without a neck brace<br />
now available, it is difficult to<br />
argue against using a neck brace.<br />
However, as it is not yet part of the<br />
rulebook for compulsory protection<br />
like helmets, boots and back<br />
protectors are, despite the benefit,<br />
riders still have choice. It is human<br />
nature to ignore the potential harm<br />
and rationalise it away. Misunderstanding<br />
the complex biomechanics<br />
at play has led to some very<br />
strong opinions on why we should
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