Airbag Inside Sweden AB Parachute Vest

[advrider]

A critical factor in any accident or collision is velocity. The higher the velocity at impact, the more damage can be done. When a motorcycle rider loses control and begins crashing, the speed that they are traveling, and the manner in which they slow down and come to a stop, can be the difference between life and major injury, or death. Airbag Inside Sweden AB has been working to reduce the chances and severity of rider injuries with their lineup of various airbag equipped motorcycle clothing, which works to spread the energy of an impact. Now, they are looking to take their ideas one step further by attempting to slow the rider before impact.

The idea is akin to a pair of parachutes deployed above the riders’ head, but executed more like an airbag, instead of a fabric canopy.

Image: Airbag Inside Sweden AB Patent Drawing

Looking at the patent drawings (we saw them first at RideApart), the idea may seem a little absurd, or even comical, but any motorcyclist that has had the misfortune of crashing at high speed knows that there is a moment in time during the crash that they would do anything to slow themselves down before coming in contact with some immovable object ahead of them.

A smarter, safer future

The parachute vest is just one example of a new crop of safety ideas that have come out in recent years. For decades, moto safety gear revolved around resisting road rash through the use of heavy fabric (leather, Cordura) and resisting impact through padding. Now, we see smarter technology, particularly accelerometers, allowing the use of airbag tech that auto-inflates when it detects a crash. These technologies aren’t perfectly worked out yet, but it’s a big step forward towards a safer future for riders, as long as they can afford the jackets and other gear that incorporate these designs.

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