Motorcyclists To Get Wearable Airbags

jonerik writes "For the past hundred years or so motorcycle accidents have had an unfortunate potential for particularly horrific injuries, or worse. Improvements in safety gear have certainly been made in the past few decades, but in some ways those improvements have been balanced out by the tremendous speeds that modern bikes are capable of. According to this article from ABC News, though, Dainese, a protective sports clothing maker in Vicenza, Italy has developed a wearable airbag vest - called the D-Air - designed to cushion riders in the event of an accident. The D-Air vest features a tiny electronic computer referred to as the STM (which stands for Sensing, Triggering, and Memory), which was developed by an Israeli company called Merhav APP. According to the article, the STM contains sensors that monitor the bike's physical motion. 'The sensors onboard the STM will watch for telltale signs -- such as a sudden deceleration force of about ten times that of gravity -- that precede a collision. Once the computer determines an impending accident, the STM blasts the data to receiver in the vest to start the inflation process.' This site also features some pictures of the D-Air vest in action. Dainese plans to begin selling the D-Air vest in Europe in the spring, though American sales will have to wait since the U.S. Department of Transportation has yet to set standards for such a device."

Comments

Ouch!

[DJPenguin]

Sounds like this sort of thing, if not calibrated perfectly for the person wearing it, could blow your head off!

Re:Ouch!

[e8johan]

An airbag inflator has the power of a hand granade. I would not like to carry such as device too close to the body. Also, what happens if I would wear a packpack, or have someone on join me on the bike (sitting behind me).

This device may look right, but how many lives will it save compared to those it take. Also, how do you dispose an explosive jacket, or take it with out on an aircraft. I'd say that this is probably a publicity stunt, and not really a life saver as airbags in cars are, but thats just MHO.

Re:Ouch!

[Blkdeath]

I'd say that this is probably a publicity stunt, and not really a life saver as airbags in cars are, but thats just MHO.

Airbags, much like ABS brakes and anything else used in cars are only partially effective, and only when used right. In many circumstances people have walked away from rather non-fatal collisions with broken jaws, ribs, and being partially or completely blinded.

Having spoken with a biker (sitting in the next room from me. ;) ) he agrees that this vest is highly impractical. When you're launched from your bike, you keep your appendages close to your body and roll, similar to how paratroopers roll on landing to reduce the stress on your body. Also, they have to be able (barring physical injury) to get up and walk away, so as to prevent them from being flattened by passing cars (who tend to pay so much attention to the wreck they'd hit the broad side of a barn if it were planted in front of them). This vest looks like it has serious potential to create a situation faced by Ralphie's brother in "A Christmas Story". (Think 'big snow suit', and 'can't move')

Much as I hate to abuse a cliche; the best life saver in all these cases is education. Motorcyclists have to observe proper safety precautions, and cars have to be told that no, you can NOT share a lane space with a motorcycle, and that while they're not as big, they're considered the same as a car when it comes to road usage. There are many statistics about how motorcyclists have been faulted as the cause of collisions, but I'd be willilng to bet that most of those have been indirectly (or directly) caused by the car, or other surrounding motorists (I'm not including those plastic, 20lb "sport" bikes, because the guys who drive those seem to have a death wish).

If people don't use safety devices properly, they have this habit of backfiring and causing death or injury, rather than the desired prevention. Take my above example of ABS brakes; people have started to become complacent, believing that ABS will reduce their stopping distance, so they drive faster towards intersections and brake later. What they don't realize is that ABS actually increases your stopping distance. I can only imagine how the bikers have felt watching a car speed towards them at 80KM/h while they sat stopped at a light, often behind another car.

Chevrolet (and perhaps all of General Motors, I'm not sure) has apparently decided to make ABS once again an optional, rather than standard feature in their new product lines. I only wish I'd had that option for my '95 Cavalier.

Unfortunately, my usual opinion of 'Remove the safety labels/devices and let the stupid take care of themselves' doesn't apply here. The drivers of cars would cream motorcycles, and innocent (and perhaps highly intelligent) bikers would be dead, while drivers of cars would walk away.

How about this - retroactive corporal punishment for any driver who causes an accident due to stupidity (which includes not paying attention, driving while tired, intoxicated, being distracted by cell phones, kids, oral sex from the passenger seat, etc.)? What we do is break their ankles on a cinder block, much like in Misery, and then revoke their drivers license for five years with mandatory driver training in order to get it back. That is, of course, if their ankles are fit to operate the pedals. ;)

Re:Ouch!

[snarkasaurus]

I think you'd rather wear one than put up with a broken neck, old son.

Think about the classic car/bike accident where the imbecile car driver turns in front of the bike, which then hits the side of the car at full speed. I know of several people who would be walking today if they'd been wearing an airbag like this that fixates the head and neck upon impact. I'm a physiotherapist, I meet a lot of the ones who don't die on impact.

I'm walking today becase I was 17 when some prick did it to me, and I had reflexes like a cat. And I was LUCKY. He drove into me, and I managed to clear the hood of the car before impact.

One millisecond too slow and my left leg would have been a bag of smashed bone chips, an infinitely preferable arrangement to the head and spinal cord injuries I've seen, belive me. Even if they have to cut off your whole fucking leg, you can still wipe your own ass.

So don't be too quick to dismiss the good old airbag. Anything that adds armor to the neck and head is good. I'd wear it.

This is just the begining too. Once they get this perfected they can start on the lower trunk and limbs. Progress!

I'll pass thanks

[IWantMoreSpamPlease]

It's bad enough we have hand grenades in the steering wheels of our new cars (another reason I only drive old cars) but now we'll be wearing one too?

Thanks, I'll pass. When I ride my FZR600, I wear heavy leather gloves, massive leather jacket (along with a spine brace), two pairs of pants (inner one are jeans, outer: leather) and a full helmet.

When I flipped my FZR once and was thrown off, the only thing bruised was my pride (and all the expensive fiberglas on the bike.)

If I want hand grenades attached to my jacket, I'll join the military.

Important Safety Rule For Motorcycle Riders

[wiredog]

Always assume that anyone driving a car, truck, etc, is one or more of:

• Blind
  
• Drunk
  
• Stoned
  
• Stupid
  

I can just see it.

[BurntHombre]

So your leg will be lying over there...

And your arm will be hanging from that tree...

And your head will be there by the curb...

But your torso will be in a remarkably preserved state!

Re:I love government regulation

[YrWrstNtmr]

So, how many motorcyclists will die a preventable death before the DOT gets off its ass and allows these.

Or, how many would be injured or die due to use of a "safety" device not properly tested and evaluated, which may introduce other, more serious problems. Even though "It seemed like a good idea at the time".

These things may be the best prevention device going. Or, they may compound the problems in a crash. Causing the rider to tumble instead of slide, inadvertant activations, too much force resulting in broken ribs, compatibility with other user worn articles (backpacks, etc), and on and on.

Just because it looks like a good idea doesn't mean it is a good idea.

Re:Biking stories ... sniff

[petrilli]

On the other had, it's just plain impossible to respect the speed limits with any stock supersport bike these days.

Bullsh*t. It's called self-control. I ride quickly on the open roads, as do all my friends, but that doesn't mean we ride at 100MPH+ on the streets. That's what track days are for.

I'm sorry, but you and your friends were nothing more than squids who took stupid risks, and paid the price. Personal responsibility, buster. It's just like people who choose to ride without a helmet, in shorts and a set of flip flops on a bike that can do 200MPH. Yeah, there's using your noggin.

Darwinian evolution. Get out of the gene pool.

Re:Preceding a collision?!?!

[BradleyUffner]

"Yeah, riiiiiight...
and while they're at it why don't they try detecting other tell-tale signs like profuse bleeding and bone fractures that also precede a collision."

I'm going to assume them mean the collision between the rider and the ground, or other object. When the rider is thrown from the bike it would mean that the bike has alrady hit something and the rider is being carried by innertia. The sudden deceleration of the bike triggers the wearable airbag before the rider actually impacts something.

Re:Doubtful...

[gillbates]

I agree, but I'll add something.

The biggest problem with motorcycle accidents is spinal cord and head injuries, which this device will do nothing to prevent. All other types of injuries commonly associated with motorcycle accidents are very survivable (road rash, bruises, the occasional broken bone, etc...).

I remember a few years ago, someone came out with a motorcycle seatbelt which could be retrofitted to a motorcycle. Not surprisingly, very few bought the idea. The reason is simple: it is fairly common for motorcycles to "come out from under" a rider; slick asphalt or gravel, a flat tire, or locking either wheel while braking will cause a motorcycle to fall over, and most riders would rather ditch the bike than be dragged along with it. (motorcycles will slide on the pavement much farther than the rider.) Once again, we have a device which inspires little confidence in its safety because:

• The number of accidents in which this device would protect the rider is relatively small, and the degree of protection is relatively minor - the road rash and bruises this device would prevent are relatively insignificant compared to the spinal cord and head injuries feared by the safety-conscious riders.
• The possibility of this complicating injuries in an accident is relatively large.

This is the kind of device which is invented by technicians wearing lab coats, rather than real riders. Most riders are open to safety enhancements, however, the nature of motorcycle riding dictates that different methods of safety be used. In cars, ejection of passengers results in injuries more often than not; with motorcycles, it's just the opposite - many motorcyclists (myself included) are still alive today because they separated themselves from the bike before or during an impending accident. While airbags and seatbelts may increase the safety of automobiles, they have the opposite effect in motorcycles - they tend to complicate injuries while offering very little in the way of accident protection.