Protective clothing for motorcycle police officers: trade unions join the CEN working group in which a standard for professional riders may be developed, as garments certified to the highest EN 17092 protection level are designed mainly for recreational riders
A text published by CEN on 29 September 2026 in its “On the spot” newsletter (tagged European Trade Union Confederation, ETUC) states that motorcycle clothing certified to the highest protection level under the EN 17092 series is designed primarily with recreational riders in mind. Together with EuroCOP and experts representing police motorcyclists, ETUC has joined working group CEN/TC 162/WG 9, where a new standard for professional riders may be developed.
- Police motorcyclists routinely operate in high-risk environments: responding to emergencies, conducting escorts and patrolling in all weather conditions. According to the text, the Personal Protective Equipment Regulation requires equipment to suit the specific operational risks of the user, and applying a recreational standard to professional workers falls short of this “fit for purpose” mandate.
- The text points out that the previous European standard, EN 13595, widely used for professional motorcycle clothing, included significantly higher performance requirements in key areas such as abrasion resistance. It also cites recent research suggesting that current test methods under EN 17092 may not adequately assess protection in real-world crash scenarios.
- According to the catalogue of the Estonian standards body EVS, Part 1 of the series, EVS-EN 17092-1:2020 (valid from 2 April 2020), describes test methods for motorcycle riders’ protective garments used in the following parts: zoning, ergonomics, mechanical properties and impact abrasion resistance. In the history of this standard the EVS page lists the earlier parts EN 13595-1 to EN 13595-4.
- The work in CEN/TC 162/WG 9 “Motorcycle rider protective clothing” is not expected to focus on revising EN 17092, but a new European standard addressing the specific protective needs of professional riders, including police motorcyclists, may be developed. According to the text, ETUC supports this initiative and will seek to ensure that workers’ experience and the specific risks faced by professional users are taken into account.