Airbag motorcycle jacket
The motorcycle rider of the 21st century is better protected now than ever before. And emerging materials and products look set to continue this trend. Honda first proposed the use of airbags on their GoldWing model in 2005. And now a company called Airprotek has begun to use similar technology incorporated into jackets to protect riders in the event of a collision.
The Airprotek airbag jackets are connected to the bike by a toggle, when the rider leaves the bike the toggle pulls a 'key' from a gas release canister which inflates the jacket in under 1/2 a second. The airbags protect the neck, back and hip area. Around 6 seconds after inflation the jacket deflates.
Don't worry about getting off your bike in normal circumstances, calmly strolling away, forgetting to unhook the system, and blowing up like a puffer fish to the sound of delirious laughter. The toggle requires considerable force to trigger gas release. You'll probably just pull your bike over.
In tests, and real life scenarios, the Airprotek air bag jacket has performed admirably. And the line of jackets they manufacture all come with the standard elbow, shoulder, spine armor found in any other jacket. Already the jackets are used by police forces in Italy, Japan, Brazil and Spain.
