Crash Tested: Riding by Lake Como

There are a few people who don’t know about the popular Lake Como in Italy. This is exactly the kind of place most tourists look for when traveling. Incredible views, perfect weather, and great places for taking pictures. Everything in one place. The hero of the story, Stanislav, wanted to “squeeze” everything possible from those surroundings: relax by the beach, sunbathe, go for a swim, and spend quality time with his wife and kids.

On a very hot day in August 2023, Stanislav was going on a road in the city of Pescate near Lake Como, using a very narrow typical Italian two-lane road. His wife and kids were already waiting for him at the beach. So, you can imagine what kind of mood he was in with all of the circumstances – great weather, family awaiting him, and the whistling wind while riding a motorcycle. And suddenly all plans went south because of an inadequate driver: “I began to follow a car whose driver was behaving inappropriately” – says Stanislav.

What kind of behavior is considered inadequate? Driving in zigzags, when you can’t even foresee what the next action such a driver can take, doesn’t maintain a constant speed (either slowing down or the other way around, when the driver suddenly speeds up), and so on. The first thought that came to Stanislav’s mind was to overtake the unpredictable driver ahead. Sadly, the overtake was not successful. Stanislav shared his experience on how the accident took place: “I was driving at a speed of about 40 km/h and started overtaking. My motorcycle caught up with the car and the driver suddenly turned the steering wheel to the left and hit my motorcycle.”

Everything happened as we can imagine a real motorcycle accident would. Stanislav lost his balance and when he fell off his motorbike, he was sliding on the asphalt for an astounding 30 meters! „The sliding stopped when I hit the steel road fence.” – Stanislav tells his experience of the crash. You can say that during the crash, not a single one of his body parts was left unscathed: hips, elbows, he even bumped his head, and his back. And this wasn’t even the worst part of it. Only after realizing what happened, Stanislav felt, that it hurt when he tried moving his arm and as it turns out, it was a broken shoulder blade. 

During the crash Stanislav was wearing the KarlDo Slim Black Motorcycle Jeans, which only had scratches on the top, knees were barely touched. Oh and because of the Onyx Brown Leather Motorcycle Gloves he was wearing, the hands were completely safe. This is why Stanislav left a positive review on the PANDO clothes: „As for PANDO MOTO equipment, the clothing showed an excellent protective effect.” But despite the minor scratches on jeans and gloves, Stanislav still turned to Pando for his Lifetime Warranty and he got a new pair of apparel. „As for the service, I am grateful to PANDO MOTO for supporting the riders.” –  Stanislav expressed his gratitude.

It turns out, that this accident was a great teaching moment, that even an experienced rider abiding by all the traffic rules is never protected from the actions made by other drivers on the road. Since the apparel was important in this situation and to prevent any serious injury on legs and hands, Stanislav took care of his future with a full package: „Now my protective equipment consists of 100% clothing from PANDO MOTO, including a jacket, jeans, and gloves.”

If you had your life saved by PANDO, don‘t hesitate to share your story with us and inspire other riders to care about their safety by investing in professional motorcycle gear and apparel.