Leg injuries due to motorcycle accidents are becoming increasingly common, and a relatively high proportion of these injuries are severe, requiring intensive and prolonged treatment with an often disappointing final result. A total of 309 injured motorcyclists consented to take part in a study investigating the possibility that crash bars fitted to motorcycles might protect the motorcyclist's legs from injury. In the group as a whole, it seemed possible that crash bars would afford some protection, but the figures were not statistically significant. In the group of 150 motorcyclists injured by side impact, 8 of the 25 with crash bars escaped injuries of the legs compared with only 17 out of 125 who did not have crash bars. These results suggest that crash bars provide a measure of protection to motorcyclist's legs, especially when the impact is from the side.