For decades motorcyclists have enjoyed the open road and the thrill of speed, with some level of risk to themselves. This is because, as most people would concede, motorcycles can be dangerous. Motorcyclists go to great lengths to safeguard their bodies from injury, whether utilising the now mandatory crash helmets that have saved a great many lives, or the protective leathers that are a rightful staple of a motorcyclist’s gear.
Yet, while crash helmets do indeed provide the much-needed protection of the skull and brain, some have argued that leathers do not provide enough protection for riders’ bodies.
New Developments
It is with this in mind that a number of well-known motorcycle apparel companies have gone to great pains to develop ways to protect the body. Specific emphasis has been placed on preventing injuries to the neck, chest and abdomen – the areas considered most susceptible to injury when falling off a bike.
Indeed, the likes of Alpinestars, Spidi and Dainese continue to develop different methods of body protection in the form of a series of neck braces and inflatable jackets.
Despite the fact that these protective garments could save lives, they have been widely met with a great deal of derision from motorcyclists. Although thankfully, this has not stopped the aforementioned companies from developing the concept.
In-line with this development, these items – which could well be a sign of things to come – are continually evolving. This suggests that one day they will get it right and that the descendants of such items will become mainstays of the bikers’ uniform in the same way that crash helmets have done.
Lisa Buckley, Marketing Manager at Carole Nash, commented: “Technology is becoming an unstoppable force across the globe. Over the past few years there have been a handful of exceptional developments in the biking space, key safety features have been unveiled, ensuring bikers are enjoying safer riding experiences, something which we are always keen to back.”
How Do They Work?
The technology varies from one manufacturer to another, but basically the jacket protects the torso with a cushion of air in the event of a collision, and canisters of CO2 are used to inflate the jacket within a matter of milliseconds.
The Future of Motorcycle Safety?
This technology has been around since the turn of the millennium, yet relatively speaking it is still very much in its embryonic stages. As such, these garments are not referred to by a standardised name, and are often referred to as ‘airbags’, or more awkwardly as ‘air-assisted safety devices’, and ‘motorcycle inflatable safety vests and jackets’.