Since my time in the volunteer fire dept. and seeing how mortal we are with our fragile bodies in countless automobile accidents, I've always been on the lookout for improved safety technology. Thus my research before getting my Class-M motorcycle license last year turned up a technology being passed from the racing circuit down to the mainstream consumer - armored airbag jacket protection.

I know many motorcyclists are avid proponents of the leather and armor crowd, (and this post isn't meant to disuade or argue those points or the advantages of leather in skid protection/abrasion). In using armored air-bag technology, the force of the impact is dispersed across the gas cartridge air-bag as it is compressed instead of being mildly absorbed in traditional leather and armor.

If I recall my research correctly, collissions with solid objects are by far the single largest cause of motorcycle fatalities (60% in one study). And at the end of the day, road rash isn't going to be what usually kills or badly injures a motorcyclist - it's the sudden impact and sudden stops that destroy their spine, neck, internal organs and impact shock to them all. Legs and arms can break and heal, skin can be grown and re-grafted... but your head, neck and everything in your torso are what keep you alive to ride another day.

Some people know that I ride with an air-bag jacket (teathered), and I've personally (accidentally) tested mine when I laid my bike over on my grass at home and jumped off at about 45 degrees... (the jacket was fully inflated before I hit the grass). Newer jackets ofter electronic triggers instead of a teathered cord for faster and more intelligent crash or pending-crash protection. Most jackets on the market now offer neck and some hip protection and have armor options to supplement the air-bag protection. If they're accidentally inflated (takes on average 70 pounds of pressure to trigger via yanking the teather), you can replace the cartridge for about $20 and re-pack the jacket easily for another day. In the worst-case event the air-bag system fails, there is the usual jacket protection and armor protection as in traditional jackets. With the electronic jackets they can even start to trigger upon a vehicle collission with a motorcycle/motorcyclist to provide partial additional protection. (Inflation time is very, very fast.) Many manufacturers also undergo testing of the jackets now too and meet or exceed safety standards. In Europe / UK they are becoming more popular I believe, and several police departments in the US are using the air-bag vest or jacket versions too for potecting their motorcycle officers.

After doing research I found numerous testimonies over the net that in all cases, the jackets worked as predicted (provided you take care of it like any other expensive jacket), and have always reduced injuries or saved lives. While it's not a perfect solution and not usually sold in leather, the testimonies are hard to ignore. And for me personally, I'm going to be concerned about my head, neck and internal organs more so than road rash or the ability to re-use my jacket. If a $500 jacket saves my life in a really bad accident, then that's worth the sacrifice of a jacket in my opinion.

Thus, for those that are interested in improved protection for their neck and torsos, the following information is provided for those who want to learn more and may potentially consider a switch to this tech. It's my hope that people continue to choose improved safety products and take a look at the reviews and testimonies to determine for themselves if may benefit them. As a former Firefighter and EMT... this safety technology gets my 2 thumbs up.

- Gabe

Generic information on Airbag Jackets. This information is probably a little dated (a few years or so) but fundamentally relevant to educate the rider on exactly the mechanics of this safety technology. A very informative read.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/airbag-jacket/motorcycle...

Story of a motorcyclist saved by an Airbag jacket.

Hit-Air Airbag armored jackets... I use one of these myself. Flexible, comfortable, breathes well, can upgrade/replace armor with a rain/warmth liner as needed.

Just my personal opinion, but I think riders - especially "newer" riders - are better off getting a decent leather jacket and using the difference in cost to pay for the Total Control course. You will be far better served by learning how to avoid incident, and more importantly, MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY, learn how to be in control of your bike and act on events rather than react to events. The vast majority of potential for incident on your bike will be related to your riding skill, reactions versus actions, vision, throttle and brake control, and situational awareness.

Next Gen. Airbag Jackets
=========================


Here is one of the next generation in the evolution of Airbag jackets. Eventually I will look into something such as this (or similar when more are available or the cost goes down) instead of merely just the tether, (although even a tethered air-bag jacket still has more considerable safety in my opinion than a standard leather/armor jacket).




Excerpts from WIRED Article:


With the releases of Dainese D-Air Street, motorcyclists will benefit from a 75 percent reduction in impact forces to the back over a CE2 back protector and an 89 percent reduction over a CE chest protector. D-Air Street also helps prevent hyperextension, hyperflexion and compression of the neck, all while inflating in as little as 45 milliseconds to guard against frontal impacts. This is the next level of safety.


D-Air Street has four main components:
* An ECU/user interface that mounts in the cockpit/on the bars.
* Two accelerometers that mount on the fork.
* A lean angle sensor under the seat to detects falls.
* The airbag unit worn by the rider.


It’s a far more sophisticated setup than the primitive airbag vests that have been available for a while. Such suits work like the kill switch on a jet ski, physically pulling a switch that triggers inflation when you separate from the machine. The problems with that are obvious: It does little to protect you if you aren’t thrown from the motorcycle, and the risk of accidental deployment is huge.


With D-Air Street, accelerometers mounted on the fork can detect an accident and trigger inflation in .025 seconds — before you even realize you’ve hit something. There’s minimal potential for accidental inflation, and the connection between user-worn garments and the ECU is completely wireless.


According to the Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study, an impact with an automobile accounts for 60 percent of all motorcycle accidents. The time between the motorcycle hitting the car and the rider hitting the car is just .08 seconds. After the head (which should be protected by a helmet), the most frequently injured body parts are the chest, abdomen and back. D-Air Street provide comprehensive coverage of the chest, upper abdomen, collar bones, neck and back.


The lean angle sensor mounted under the seat will detect falls or slides.


Dainese claims the airbag is not subject to interference because it employs a continuous radio signal connection between the wearable unit and ECU. With no existing certification processes in place, Dainese worked with Germany’s super-strict TUV certification program to develop standards for wearable airbags. 

Probably one of the best ways to understand how this tech works is to see it in action such as in the stunt video demonstration here. It's important to note that as with any safety gear, it's no substitute for skill and experience and should be used as a complimentary safety component, never in lieu of.

While the prior video was an example of the existing tethered Airbag jackets, here is a video of the next generation of Airbag jacket technology in action, smarter and faster.

I second what rshaugsaid. 



I was thinking about this the other day. 



Consider two extreme options:



1. riding in flipflops and shorts but with all the advanced training available.

2. wearing full gear but having only taken the BRC.



I would opt for 1 because it is the safer option. Gear protects for a finite series of potential problems. Training is adaptive and thereby applies to vastly more circumstances. 



A data point to consider despite the fact that I never ride without ATGATT. I have never actually used my gear for it's intended purpose in the 38 years I've been riding. I ride with ATGATT because the potential downside for an off could alter the course of my life. But it does not, in any way, offset the need to training.



There is more to be said on this subject.

Rob, interesting point. I would argue that new riders need both. It takes time and lots of mileage to learn the skills, ergo newer riders should have additional protection as they lack the experience, instincts and skills.


A total control course while valuable, won't automatically instill a rider with the same level of skillset as one who has been riding 10 or 20 years. In those situations, a new rider would benefit from additional protection than the experienced rider. I see additional safety technology not as a crutch, but as backup plan to help protect a rider due to the lack of skill while they are learning. I.E. complimentary. As mileage and years go up, the risk of accidents goes down - but never completely, and there is always the unforeseen.


In my reviews of airbag jackets, I found many a similar argument - that skill, expertise and experience should account for most all situations. Maybe that's the case - I haven't been riding long enough to determine that for myself yet, but the logic doesn't add up to me.  Even experienced riders are momentarily distracted, focused on something else, don't see an accident coming or can't avoid some accidents. It is precisely for the unplanned, unforseen and unavoidable that we wear rider gear at all... airbag jackets are merely part of the next evolution of safety of ATGATT.


For me personally, I cannot grok how leather + armor offers any improvement over textile + armor + airbag... except maybe in the most minor of slides and durability of a jacket when sliding on some pavement. But I personally wouldn't bet my ability to breathe, walk or function (aka live) on experiencing a slide out as opposed to an impact or being thrown - both far more common.


I know the old guard is adamant about leather + armor... (and kudos for all that), but I can't help but wonder based on numerous forum postings if there isn't some reluctance to evolve the safety net. It's all about a safety & taking calculated risks, right?. If the tech works (and it does), why would we not add it to our system of ATGATT?


I could easily see how this would be beneficial for new riders for whom it may take years to build up the experience and skilllsets for avoidance and control, but I can also see how it's complimentary and potentially no-nonsense for the old guard too. I have to admit, I'm quite puzzled by the resistance here - it reminds me of the resistance to using full face helmets, riding pants, even gloves.


While we put our lives in our skill, why is it that skill eventually becomes the (sometimes fatal) justification for avoiding additional protection? I can't tell you how many Harley / Cruiser riders have given me that one... but for almost each story, I can tell you horror stories from EMS & my mother's years working in the emergency department at a county hospital. Each rider thought they had the skill, each was overconfident... maybe I'm missing that magic line in my thinking when my skill will be good enough to avoid the latest safety tech, but I honestly hope I never meet that line on the road... it might be my last.

(Apologies, had to delete & repost as subsequent minor edits kept adding mysterious carriage returns between paragraphs.)

Addendum Thought:


Besides the data and testimonials for protecting in various circumstances (not all), for me - the airbag jacket is not seen as a crutch or compensating point for skill. Each time I clip to my tether in it's a stark reminder that this technology exists for very good and unpredictable reasons - be it lack of skill or the unforeseen. It's my reminder each time I mount up that there are no black and whites in riding, that we can't account for everything in even the best of conditions or skill. Most of all to be ever vigilant - not just on the road for external threats, but to guard against the biggest threat I can discern to date for motorcyclists - overconfidence.

 Gabe, in your context it probably makes sense because as an inexperienced rider you're riding alone, something I generally think is not adviseable.

 


I think the resistance you're hearing is in terms of "bang for buck", not absolutes. You clearly have the financial resources to pay for the advanced and developing tech. 

However, and I think this is the point you may be missing is, if you have the opportunity to spend $500 on a course where you learn new things and become a better rider or the same amount on some new tech, you will find that overall you are safer spending the money on education and practice. The incremental safety improvement you get from an airbag jacket vs a normal jacket is probably minor in comparison to that difference paid in terms of training and practice.

Obviously, if you have the means to do both go for it and report back your experiences.

The other part of the objection, which I believe is the undercurrent to your posts on tech, is that you are buying the tech without taking the courses. IMHO this is actively dangerous. The VAST majority of accidents are avoidable. There are so very very few unavoidable accidents. (The best air bag suit in the world will not save you from being sliced in two on a guard rail when you get surprised by a suddenly tightening corner and you're going too fast. A little training, however, makes that scenario such a non issue as rshaug, jpcfjr and I demonstrated not too many weekends ago. That corner was truly nuts.)

Total Control, for instance, will change you if you take it seriously and then apply what you have learned. Joining us in parking lot exercises is almost as good. 

There is a balance in all things and where to draw the line is a difficult and personal choice. Leather is better protection when it comes to abrasion and thus is the go-to thing on the racetrack since accidents tend to involve lots of sliding. 

A full race leather set with the neck brace and all can allow you to survive a 160mph impact on the Isle of Mann TT (granted with some injuries). 

 


Maybe we should advocate full race leathers and all the race protective gear? It would be safer from a certain point of view. Then again, in summer we'd probably die of heat exhaustion.

Textiles have come a long way. In a street context, the impact is the larger threat. Most accidents happen at slow speed. Additionally, textiles often are better vented so you suffer less of a risk of heat exhaustion.

I'm not convinced about the airbag suits. My big concern with them is false positives and aging. And, beyond that, I'm not sure about the range of accidents they are a help for versus a hindrance.  (For instance, there are people for whom airbags in cars are potentially fatal.)

There are more proven gear upgrades. Do you have a full back protector in your jacket or the original foam pad, for instance? Have you upgraded to the TF energy absorbing armor over the standard CE rated stuff? Do the pants you wear have actual hip protectors or are they just foam pads. Do the boots you have protect your ankle adequately, etc. There's a certain fascination with the latest tech for a problem and then there is proven tech that we all have experience with. This is not a resistance akin to not wearing a helmet. It's a resistance to gee-whiz tech for it's own sake which attempts to solve a problem which may or may not be where the real threat is.

But if you've done all the standard upgrades, and have the training, and you want to experiment with some new tech, more power to you. Report back your experiences and maybe we'll follow suit.

In all the years of riding, I haven't seen any injuries from accidents personally where anything other than armored leathers, gloves, boots and helmet were needed. Riders got up and rode away. Injuries have been to extremities (ankles, wrists) or because of things in pockets caused bruising. I saw one accident happen in front of me back in '91 at 70mph. All the rider was wearing was full HeinGericke leathers, not armored since we didn't have those back in the day. He got up after a full flip and landing on the highway on his back with just a few bruises. YMMV.
(I would also probably argue from a safety point of view, better tires, suspension and brakes would be a better investment than an airbag suit in terms of net-effect on safety; but of course those things don't really help without the training and practice to use them.)

So the takeaway is:

1. obviously, gear, always.
2. full faced helmet, upgraded/armored jacket/pants/gloves/boots.
3. additional tech is no replacement for training and practice, but no one here, I suspect, will have an issue with additional tech /as an addition to/ training and practice. 
4. riding alone as a new rider (or riding with the wrong people) is a Bad Idea(tm), IMHO, but I'm kind of extreme in this regard. I've just seen it go wrong too many times. As a result, I require people that I train to promise me the first 1000 miles they ride they will not ride alone. More over they promise to ride either with me or someone I approve (namely people like buffalo) I've been doing this since I was a teenager. But I was thinking that's largely because we're riding around conjested DC suburbs and the roads here are dangerous. If we were out in the country it's probably less of an issue.

Ben Mendis, Robert and AGrip are going through this chore now. But the dividends it's paying are clearly visible. 

Gabe Please know that I actually support, absolutely, advances in rider safety and in buying, wearing, and using the absolute best and most appropriate gear. I am simply pointing out what I like to call "Shark and Mosquito" behaviors (all of my friends who are sick of hearing this are now tuning out LOL). The very short version is that we, as humans, tend to fear - significantly fear - sharks, even though statistically over the last 500 years it is shown that you will NOT be harmed or killed by a shark. The number of incidents against the population, and not only the population at large but the smaller potential population of people in relative proximity to a likelihood of sharks, is so relatively small as to not only be statistically insignificant, but approaches zero enough to be considered irrelevant. By contrast, many millions of people are killed by mosquitoes every year, a genuinely statistically significant number. How does this relate to riding gear and safety? We apply the same faulty risk analysis in all of the risk decisions we make. There is a lot of academic study on the phenomena so I won't go into it all here.

Because when a crash goes very badly it has a disproportionate impact to our decision making centers and the complex processes we use for risk avoidance it increases the "perceived probability" in our minds. Advertisers and marketers actually use the crap out of this phenomena really effectively. A side effect is that we also like to justify our thinking by using very visceral, but actually not statistically important, examples to justify the thought. Again, it is instinct and physiology - NOT judgement or emotion causing it.

With the above in mind I'll point out a couple of direct observations. It is highly likely that your airbag system did not prevent or lesson injury when you fell off your bike at your house. The forces involved and the dynamics of the "off" just wouldn't really contribute to the type of injury the airbag system is designed for. Marc Marquez's 200MPH shunt down the back straight? - YES, it saved his life, at a minimum it saved him from a world of hurt.

However... if you had more confidence and skill with your bike both your accident at home, and your drop when we were all out for a ride would have been avoided. I didn't see your drop at your house but I know for a fact that the only reason you went down doing the u-turn is because you either didn't know how to, or weren't confident it would work. I guarantee it. Again, and ***I simply can't stress this enough!*** I am not commenting on you as a person, your intellect, your respect for the man and machine, your seriousness to the approach, etc etc etc. It's just one of those things. I promise you that you knew the proper approach and mechincs for the u-turn and simply lost confidence in what was happening. Everything that came next - slowing down too much, target fixation, and braking instead of gentle throttle application - was a panic response. It happens to EVERYONE, anyone who says it doesn't is lying to themselves. The trick is to be OK with the fear, and keep the panic locked up

These "initial" skills and confidence really do not take 1,000s of miles and years to build up. They do take some learning (preferably by a qualified instructor), some practice, and a basic belief that YOU are in control of IT. And not that the machine is dictating the outcome. I'm not talking about extracting percentages of performance at the edge of the envelope, I'm simply talking about the basics (which actually cover 90% or more of our riding).

I also believe that not everyone is suited to motorcycling, just as not everyone is suited to being an EMT, a mountaineer, a Navy Seal, or an accountant. Safely operating and enjoying motorcycling requires having complete confidence in yourself first. Knowing intellectually and emotionally that you are in charge of what happens next. This is a mind set, not a learned response. The learned aspect come from applying the mindset to the specifics of the task at hand. Someone who is afraid of the bike and the process of riding WILL have bad things happen, no gar will prevent it. Developing the right mindspace and believing that your action will produce the intended effect will prevent a whole host of issues.

Soooo...how do I close this loop

The "bang for the buck" at the beginning and at the highly experienced end is clearly with rider education, concentrated exercises, and developing the mental aspects of riding. The best and latest gear is absolutely, 100%, without doubt, fantastic. But. If the choice is a "good" jacket and an advanced riders course versus the "best" jacket alone. PLEASE, go with the riding course.

If anyone who is trying out riding simply does not, relatively early in the process, have that moment where it all comes together they simply shouldn't pursue it further. I know that sounds harsh, but it would save so much pain and unnecessary anguish for folks to simply be OK with that it really isn't for them. There are too many people who are, at best, passengers on their machine and not really in control of it. There is another large set of riders who "understand" what should be done, but are very uncomfortable doing it. These folks should also take a good hard look at themselves and make the tough decision to not do it. 

I care about people a whole hell of a lot more than I care about motorcycles or motorcycling. I would rather have friends and acquaintances who love what they do and are safe doing it than simply adding another "riding buddy". I think way too much is made of it, perhaps as some subconcious manliness test or something. There are lots of things that I think are cool, interesting, fun that I dream of doing but never will..because they scare the crap out of me or I've just never really been comfortable with it. I am totally OK with that though

In the end, it is better to fend off mosquitoes than to plan and prepare for a shark attack. If you can afford to do both, go for it! If you have a deep and meaningful conversation with yourself and there is even a sliver of doubt regarding confidence and control - leave the sport behind.

Rob, great essay! A few thoughts of which I'll clarify further. Note: The original intent behind starting the thread was meant only to highlight the technology, not the reasons for/against it.

On my aspects presented as examples above, not to focus on but more as FYI... No argument on the cost / where to spend if there are limited budgets - I can agree in that a skills course provides more practical benefits over gear (fundamentally). No doubt the drop at my house didn't prevent anything... it was on the grass, only illustrated to show the quick inflation time, not as an example of protection. And the U-turn drop was chiefly in not accurately guaging the distance it would take, as such I couldn't compensate as I had not planned on having to make a shorter turn than anticipated. Making unplanned course corrections is still one of my concerns and something I'm trying to work on.

That being said, the examples of fear & self-confidence are noteworthy, but it is important to remember (as you touched on) that they are perhaps the evil-twins of each other. You have to build self-confidence over time, and the process for learning that involves a fear as anyone who starts out can attest to. The fear is mitigated over time as well, and conversely self-confidence i riding skill should also go up. I know mine has also gone up, but I also knokw that I thought I was going to make that U-turn properly - until I was halfway through and realized I didn't guage the distance properly and didn't know how to re-adjust (or execute the necessary actions) in such a short space/timeframe. However my takeaway from that is a new healthy respect for distance to execute and a new personal requirement to obtain training on unplanned obstacle avoidance, somehow.

I can tell you that the expectation for total self-confidence in my humble opinion (and please don't think I'm challenging or dissing what you said) can be dangerous. To maintain the respectable / appropriate (controlled) fear you have to leave open the possibility that you cannot be 100% in what you do, your actions or expectations of yourself. As an example when training to be a firefighter, most new students (including myself) learned what real fire is, what damage heat can do and how to tolerate steam burns, loss of over 50% dexterity, difficulties in communication, complete loss of visibility in tremendous heat and still do our job. Fear was a pre-requisite, self-confidence failed us and fear conquered each of us during those weeks as we learned new skills.

Emphasis in training on the task at hand (more than our perception) was chiefly taught to us through such exercises and most of us learned we were capable of things we had no idea of, such as carrying equipment up a 4 story ladder and perching atop a 7 story roof without a safety rope... I conquered most of my fear of heights with that for a long time. Was I ever fully confident? Nope... and neither were any other trainees. After learning the job, most FF's probably now maintain about a 90-95% level of self-confidence in their abilities (maybe more depending on experience), but they know to focus on the task instead of the emotion.

For some this learning is achieved quicker and faster... for me it's slower due to my reduced time window and other committments. I'll still get there in the end, but like firefighting self-confidence comes with practice, time and witnessing the results. I've seen complete introverts become firefighters, squeamish people become EMT's and emergenncy drivers, even those who fear math become Paramedics - and become good at their job. Each began with not just fear, but an innate lack of self-confidence - and they learned it over time and to conquer their natural fear of death, fire, blood & guts, and put themselves at risk.


So I would agree to disagree that an absolute assurance of ones self is a pre-requisite to making great achievements in riding. While it can be a tremendous influencing factor (and self-confidence should increase over time), I believe I've personally seen enough evidence to the contrary. I would only be concerned if the fear was not being reduced, the self-confidence not increasing and the student not learning to conquer new skills. Of course that doesn't instantly make me any more prepared for U-turns, but it does make me more aware, which is the pre-requisite for learning and enabling me to grow in these areas.

This all being said, this has turned more into a thread about self-confidence than it has about highlighting the benefits of technology. And I would hope anyone reading would not jump to conclusions in that the validity of the case for applying safety  equipment is somehow related to my (limited) success as a new rider. I.E. One not need necessarily have 30 years riding experience under the belt to recognize the advantages of smarter gear. And if folks have 100% (or near) confidence in their abilities - then I'm 2 thumbs up for that as skill is very important.
I would also acknowledge that not all riders are built equally, but that doesn't necessarily disqualify or place them into the "danger to themselves/other" category. Riders should always be a work in progress, some ups & downs withstanding. It's the expectation of "perfection" in yourself and skills, the belief of infalability on the road and that all variables can be instincitively calculated for that I don't buy into. Maybe it's because I've scraped up too many people who had that same measure, even many years of experience - but I personally believe that increasing self-confidence if not guarded against, can merge with ego and result in complacancy.


And no offense to senior riders (whom I greatly respect, admire and hope to learn more from), but what scares me just as much as myself becoming overconfident is people with absolute and unwavering faith in their skills, acknowlege no room for personal error and as such - don't demonstrate (at least to the obvious observer) that healthy fear and control. That may just be me though and I've been wrong in the past... but not every emergency room motorcyclist is automatically a bad motorcyclist in their skillset just because they got in an accident. (I've talked with more than a couple of patients enroute to the hospital about their perfect driving record and impeccable safety when driving.) Likewise there are valuable lessons beyond justification to take away from those who have crashed and burned.

So where does this leave me? For my (limited) observations thus far, skill and fear are relative to the individual while progress and improvement of a rider would be more accurate assessments. People can evolve, grow and learn - some will take more time... but they will do so at the pace that is often best for them, even if the results are sometimes questionable. For those (such as myself) who have a slower pace of learning and time, it would be prudent to invest in additional protection when possible and appropriate. Skill is no substitute for gear, and gear no substitute for skill. Statistics aside, many of us live in high-risk areas... the crash statistics are extraordinary for the DC/MD/VA region and surround areas. They don't have to be large - but one should never place too much faith in numbers... that falls into the "statistically it has a low chance of happening to me" overconfidence mindset more so than realism, and can lead one to lower their guard... a position I would never advocate for new riders for myself. Fighting the culture, I.E. change has always been difficult, even when it's the individual that benefits. A quick simple google search on airbag jackets will show the reluctance with reasons such as "not cool, doesn't work, can't re-use, it's not leather" as well as ahost of other variety reasons (mostly poor excuses).

That being said, it is discourage to me personally to see senior riders place so much certainty on their skill sets and scoff at newer tech, even imperfect. Perhaps if they scooped a body and some parts off the road, it might also show that besides skill, risk is also relative to an individual.

It's my hope as a former member of EMS that people will take up and pursue additional safety opportunities and gear when they become available... bicycle helmets save lives, full face motorcycle helmets, armor and so forth. If people go 10, 20, 30, 40 years without an accident, Bravo! They're doing things right, but maybe they're also a little more lucky than they realize... and I have to wonder how many people will admit to a certain amount of luck in such accident-free stretches.

Anyway, I digress... I hope folks have learned something beneficial about the pros and cons of technology (and skillsets) in the context of this thread. For me, my education and practice continues.

PS - Apologies on my being grammarly handicapped today (more so than usual), 4 hours sleep has seemed to sabotage my proofreading skills.

Gabe You are of course correct about the intent of the thread, like some other topics it simply touches on an important and oft debated point of origin. Also, I apologize as I must not have been clear that I am not referring to absolutes. There is no 100% confidence and the self confidence I am referring to is not the kind that you are referring to. There are no absolutes in life and in learned tasks it applies even more so. I also am not advocating for, or in fact describing, a "this versus that" scenario - quite the opposite actually. And finally, I think you missunderstood my message. I don't think you have to be entirely self confident, fearless, or bold. I believe that fear keeps us safe and alive, having *enough* confidence in our learned skills and innate sense of control, and the mental fortitude to always be very honest with ourselves, are the keys. Firefighting is a great example of controlled fear and suppressed panic. You have to, really you do have to, believe that you can go into the fire and come back out. I have some similar, not identical but certainly similar, experience of having to operate in very stressful and dangerous circumstances and controlling panic is essential. Fear is healthy, panic is dangerous. In that same thought, the self confidence scale (as it applies to the task at hand) must lean towards a belief that the effort will be successful in order for it to succeed. 

Last thought number 2 I am not a big believer that experience is some mystical force for excellence. I know plenty of folks with lots and lots of experience...experience doing the wrong things. It just makes for someone excellent at not being good LOL. Experience doing something correctly, like continuing education and practicing the principles taught at the beginning, leads to skill and fluidity of operation.

Threads in a forum present snippets and snapshots of concepts which in our hearts and minds have formed over years and experiences. But not more than that.

Understood. It might also surprise you to know that I was also not referring to absolutes, merely generically referencing them with respect to those that are near or completely confident in their skill sets so as close themselves off to new ideas and in doing so, write off risk as acceptible.

I personally believe that most people write off new safety technology largely because it doesn't look cool, they're afraid of change and perception or don't have the motivation to do the homework behind it and as such, lazily make excuses and poo-poo such advances. There are some impressive new additional safety technologies coming into motorcycling... from better headlights (some that follow the road), more noticability at night and one of my personal favorites now available in the UK (for EMS reasons) - a full face helmet with a built in cold-pack that breaks and cools the entire head and brain to reduce swelling and help greatly reduce brain damange from a head-trauma. Even in the world of bicycling there are now airbag-collars that will be out soon which upon being hit/ejected, immediately provide a full-head airbag to the rider. Lastly many air-bag jackets now also have a neck portion that inflates to stabilize the neck against the full face helmet and reduce the trauma to the neck to more closetly keep the head and torso as one during an accident.

Then again, safety tech is only as good as the user of it. You would not believe how many people still drive without seat belts on.

Gabe Let me also take this brief space to thank you for a wonderful dialog. What an excellent example of intelligent, impassioned debate. This is what a good forum community provides! Bravo.

Thanks Rob, and thank you as well.

It's interesting how things turn out for the better sometimes. For instance, had I not dropped the bike in the grass on that ride, Yermo would not have noticed the screw in my back tire. Being a new rider, I couldn't quite say how I would have handled a suddenly floppy tire and thumping bike at highway speeds or during a turn. It's conceivable that it could have been a huge problem and risk for me - if not that day, then at some point. So in that perhaps my U-turn lesson was well timed by the fates.

Gabe The u-turn thing is kind of funny because it is one of the things that even guys with millions of miles under them routinely screw up (including myself!). Because it's always been something that really never fully "clicked" for me I continue to practice it often. You would be surprised at just how INfrequently you have to do it (especially within a single lane of width). In 30 years of street riding I've probably done single width u-turns less than 100 times in the street. So, I've done 1,000s of them in parking lots. Typically in large commuter lots on Sundays when they are empty. I go out, often by myself, and set up a GoPro so that it can see the area I use. I then set myself up a little course for skills practice, and focus on one, or at most two, thing(s) to work on. Sometimes it's u-turns other times will be corner entry or exit vision, or braking limits. I'll do this for an hour or two while reviewing the video to see where it's going well or poorly and correct. I absolutely welcome others to join me and am happy to meet others doing the same as well. 

Hm, alternate use of airbag jackets = emergency flotation device for downpours.

Alright gang, I'm not giving up on you yet... call me stubborn, so here's my little essay that is going to cover 2 things with respect to the reasons for this post and air-bag jackets:




1. The "why's" of my perspective and motivation (don't feel that you need to reply, this is background info for the second point)

2. Consideration of airbag jacket technology via example presentation and explanation. (For any minds not yet solidified in opposition.)

So here is my attempt to provide clarity - not argue, not rebuttal, not anger, not touch any nerves... merely explain my thinking, and my intent behind adamantly presenting this topic.


In order for the reader to understand this post further and my point of view and consider the technology based on the merits and actual comparative review of it, I'm going to drop a few things from here on out that I think have been beaten into me so that we can focus on the subject (and ultimate intent) of the thread and posts for this subject matter.
- Skill: No substitute, no argument, even on priority for budgets. I'm in complete agreement. That being said, I will not discuss it further, (aside from how I view it in a paragraph below).
- Budgets: We all do the best with what we have, and skill should be funded first.
- Gabe's (lack of) Riding Experience: As pertains to skill, consideration or justification of a product or technology.

Going forward, I would also personally appreciate me not being used as prime examples in future posts as to obvious lessons learned... there are better ways than making assumptions and doing limits the scope of your own analysis and review to looking at me and anything I say with "beginner goggles". Instead of educating me in the analysis of my own actions, you close yourself off to new considerations simply because I am a beginner and as such, almost certainly cannot fathom the logic by which items were presented above. I would instead ask that the discussion going be focused on the actual merit and validity of the technology itself, not the validity of the rider presenting it by giving a qualifying criteria "you must be this high to ride" bar or skill/experience quota. I.E. Please don't execute that skillful newbie-swerve as to avoid any serious "head-on" consideration of the tech & subject. In other words, you don't necessarily need to take me seriously, but it would be nice to take the intended subject matter seriously, or even partially, do your own research and homework and present pros and cons, reasons for/against and I daresay try on my boots for a new POV.




--- Begin Act 1 ---

That being said and over with, I'm moving on to first briefly explain why this technology has (and please forgive the pun) such a personal "impact" on me (since there is an innate desire to draw conclusions and make assessments based on typical and subsequently non-relative experience). It's important to me that you actually understand my approach and understanding beyond a drive-by glance, so that you know the history and my approach to riding safety and that my perspective and approach will be inherently different than typical new riders.





Fear was addressed, but as it pertains to skill and conquering. While fear can and should be controlled (not dominating), to respect it you have to understand it - and personal accidents, drops and like. This means that a healthy respect of fear must also be learned, controlled and respected giving the rider more awareness. A new rider will not understand the full implications of making a bad decision without better understanding the consequences and results. (I consider this safety math 101.) Example: People know about road rash, but it doesn't drive home the point because most people haven't experienced or witnessed it being new riders. The same example goes for head trauma, torso, spine and most important of these: severe impairment and death. So (in my world) you have to learn all relevant fear (to a reasonable extent) to be truly aware of the scope of what it is exactly that you have to conquer and the full scope of the consequences.

Would I advocate new riders doing this? Not to the degree I have, (most people can't handle that level of review or exposure and require therapy afterward), however I would storngly advocate research into consequences of all sorts, testimonies so that they know and have a healthy fear of how they or others could end up. Most people rely on their own (always limited) experiences or a few of what they have seen. Few people have had that exposure (usually not willingly) to the primal, gritty reality for which often make people give up an activity before even starting it. How many new riders here have actually looked long and hard at rider injuries, death and stories beyond the initial shock value? How many have looked at the Hurt report statistics and additional studies since? How many have even Googled queries as to the actual real-world effectiveness of different types of gear and aftermath testimonies? I got the dreaded "evil eye" for even bringing up the topic of "rider injury types" in my MSF class... does anyone touch on that here? Probably not often, it's a taboo and often uncomfortable subject, why dealerships and salespeople rarely discuss it. Everybody talks about conquering fear and training to conquer it, but nobody talks about really understanding it. So in my head, you can't conquer what you don't fully realize and to train to conquer is to train for something unknown.

Why would you have to learn fear? Maybe the better question is, why would you want to learn some fear? Because guarding against complacency and overconfidence is the key to protecting against the unknown, surviving the unknown, the unanticipated and the unpredictable. This is the primary reason that people in risky professions are exposed to very strong "what if's" and "examples gone to hell" - to drive home the point so that the trainee is keenly aware of what NOT doing correctly. This is why I consider PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) a component of skill. If you're not skilled in protecting yourself, or only do half-ass, then you're not very skilled in my not-so-humble opinion at protecting yourself. Do I have all the top gear? Nope, I'm still trying and looking for better stuff, but I'm always looking and reviewing periodically or actively, because somethings might just justify the costs in my assessment, trialing and further review. Make no mistake, in my world - PPE is an integral component and fundamental link in my chain or circle of skill, there are no either/or extremes (a straw-man argument). Just something to keep that in mind for the rest of this post.


Thus I can sum learned fear up as:
Learned fear is required fundamental component to understanding and realizing the scope of a risk, and as such is integral in developing an approach to learn to conquer it. (Relative to the task / training needed.)



Now I'm going to tie this concept of "learned fear" as it pertains to PPE in 3 examples as they became relevant to myself.



Example #1 - EMT's are shown photos of real actual injuries and cadavers - sometimes in person. Training in class usually goes alongside actual calls, so students are exposed to real world situations as they learn. One of my very first calls (even before my EMT class) was for an extremely tragic incident - a pedestrian hit and killed by a drunk driver on drugs, namely an poor 12 year old child drug under a vehicle for about 1/2 a mile. Rest assured, you do not want to witness first hand what extreme road rash combined with a vehicle collision can do to make a human being no longer look human. This was a hard first lesson in mortality and the reality of our job and somewhat of an exception by even EMS standards. Working in the tangled leftovers of a fragile vehicle requires sufficient gear. We stabilized vehicles with wooden chocks, airbags and other tools. Ripped, sawed, tore, cut and separated more metal than I can remember - and I remember several instances of metal portions of cars popping off unexpectedly and hitting me, glass raining down on me, and sparks flying as material was either cut with circular saws, reciprocal saws or in some few cases oxyacetylene cutting torches - thankful for my gear. (Was always a fun training exercise to cut steel barbs and even melt concrete with that tool!)


Example #2 - Firefighters are shown photos of burns to both victims and fire fighters, fatalities, accident photos and more. We were later intentionally exposed to extreme steam (and thus experienced steam burns first-hand) to show what happens when someone opens up a hose incorrectly on a fire... a prime example of a single firefighter not doing his or her job correctly and how it can affect the outcome of the situation as the entire group hugged the floor in full gear and tanks, gritting teeth at our own sweat giving us 1st degree burns. We were also taught to use newer PBI material firefighting gear as opposed to the older "Nomex" gear of years prior. Both work, but one works significantly better than the other.


Example #3 - Soldiers are schooled in basic for chemical warfare and shown examples of what happens without their suits or having them improperly sealed. I will never forget those photos in my (brief) time basic training - it's what motivated us to place such a critical emphasis and priority on learning to don our suits quickly and correctly and bolstered motivation by driving home the reality of the risk. Pictures of soldiers and victims of gas, chemical and biological agent attacks, including people who had fault gear or did not utilize it properly (read: partial gear coverage). Not all died, but most lived a painful, often short remainder of their life.




Learned fear that is understood in scope in severity combined with proper instruction and repeated attempts and exposure results in a keen awareness of the reality of life and death (one of the first things I mentioned in prior posts above but which I think may have been not fully understood). Understand - this does not present with a ginormous glob of fear and does not a handicap me as a normal person might expect, (I'm already acclimated to this - even looking to get back to volunteering again as I greatly miss the service). What it does mean is that my approach is slower, taking more thought and attempting to be more methodical, cautious and slow. It means letting the pack ride ahead while I take turns slower, it means paying attention on group ride posts to descriptions about anticipated speed, types of turns, conditions and group ride expectations - and if not seen, asking questions about them. It means learning patience and taking my time. It means a more thought based approach in what I want to do out on the road with my bike because (at least initially) I have less control about external influences than I did when fighting a fire, when working in the mangled mess of what's left of vehicles in a collision or if I was in a foreign country with my platoon. I know that avoidance is sometimes not possible, I know that I don't know everything and I know that I can't anticipate everything. But it means I will try my best to do keep learning, keep trying and always, "train, train, train some more, mix it up and train for new as well as the familiar" (as was often repeatedly done in each of those areas). But it also means that particular emphasis is placed on learning and continually improving my PPE too because it is an integral component and because I have such a stark respect and awareness (realistic) understanding of what "can" happen to me or others.

This is what I call a "healthy respect" for the cruel nature of reality, (not an all-encompassing fear). It dates back to use of my PPE, ensuring my envelope is a component of your skill and complimentary, NOT in lieu of. To me, learned fear is part of my circle of skill - such as using a proper firefighting helmet instead of an old style leather one for style, upgrading to the newer more heat and fire tolerant/resistant PBI firefighting material in gear instead of our older Nomex training gear (still accepted in standards, but less effective & tolerant), and practicing to ride my bike slow and around vehicles by riding 100 miles in my neighborhood community before event going out into my first single-lane painted roads.

So to summarize this first main point - my perspective is probably unique, and so is my approach - if non-traditional. My safety recommendations here are NOT made from a gadgety "awe" or "cool" factor, and are based in healthy respect for reality that is rooted in my understanding of the importance and relevance PPE - and the consequences without them. I'm no expert, I don't proclaim to be - but I have seen enough accidents and tragedies first hand in how fragile we are and I know high risk this sport is (especially in this region), the fatal results of overconfidence involving vehicles and the completely surprised, unaware and predictable occur to even the most skilled and planned individuals (including other firefighters). Even the crazy occurs - like when you really just can't do anything in time what that deer jumps out of the bushes next to the road (and subsequently trashes of the front-end of an ambulance... we named that guy the "deer slayer"... now imagine that consequences to a motorcyclist.)

So when I recommend airbag jackets and I take on the challenge of explaining the benefits of new equipment, you now know the context in which I present this and the priority in which I regard PPE. If there is something for which can help mitigate serious injury or even death, I will throw it out. But to discard it without thorough review is only to potentially put yourself at risk, not me. Time for a breather...


--- End of Act 1 ---




... Cue intermission, bio-break & snack... (hope you washed your hands before the snack)...




--- Begin Act 2 ---


Now to focus more on the technology. I think the way I could potentially best demonstrate the applicability of airbag jacket technology is through actual illustration and/or example (If you haven't read through the above links completely and haven't watched the videos - please do so). Mentally picturing something still permits bias based on each of our unique experiences and usually handicaps our ability to objectively review new concepts and tools. Trialing something out should present a more stark, if crude and fundamentally more applicable example for consideration.


So what exactly can air-bag jackets protect against?



Let's start with a quick pre-qualifier:

Remember that vehicles collisions and safety products are tested in attempts to replicate the most common scenarios or statistically largest scenarios for an accident. The same has been done for airbag jackets. Many have undergone tests, some rated even in other countries as new standards are being developed. It's a new tech, no doubt... but much like the first airbags in cars - even if imperfect, they provide additional benefits and protection over the lack of them when these statistically most common incidents occur. This being said, nearly all testimonies for rider protection that I've found involve the rider being ejected from the vehicle (usually by hitting another, losing control of the bike for X reason, etc.), with the subsequent protection applied as they hit the ground, nearby hills, other vehicles or even barrier walls. (I will see if I can dig up the list I found sometime this weekend of the numerous testimonies). While first generation jackets don't help any more than traditional jackets upon an initial collision, newer second generation jackets utilize electronic sensors to detect and trigger on the first moment of something starting to potentially wrong.

Due to the prior posts above, I can see that there is a misconception that these jackets are easily triggered or feared to be accidentally inflated. The chances of that are minimized with the programming of the sensors, and with tethers they require about 60 pounds of force (give or take by manufacturer) to separate and trigger. (If you get off your bike attached, decent chance you can actually tip your bike over... it is hard to separate and it is meant to be so that they are not accidentally triggered. The lifespan of a jacket is presented with each manufacturer when ordered along with recommended care, service and inspection instructions. All recommend after an accident to send back to the manufacturer for review and certification before re-using. If accidentally triggered, they are all re-packable provided no damage has occurred to them.


While an air-bag cannot protect entirely against a jagged sharp object such as a side rail on the side of a road, (for which little will), that is also why the jackets are augmented with traditional (usually upgradable) armor underneath the air-bags. I've upgraded my armor that it ships with (tough foam) to the hardest the vendor sells, and it may be further upgradable by using another brand/type in the insert. Newer jackets allow you to upgrade other hardened armor points too, elbows, chest inserts, etc. - many of the same / similar hardware points that traditional jackets and outfits provide (varies by manufacturer just as traditional jackets do). If a guard rail or piece of vehicle metal is sharp enough to cut into an airbag jacket and into the armor, good chance it will do the same for leather too, in which case your odds of survival are probably about the same. (Hopefully those all-important skill lessons will have paid off and this scenario will never come about, but there is always the unknown, and nobody can protect the future.) Air-bags are not full-proof protection, (and that's no my case nor point either), instead they are a form of ejection and secondary impact protection. In some ways they may be able to also protect against initial impacts as well, as inflation times have continually become faster and faster. Manufacturer testing (some in videos) show that even partially inflated they provide additional impact absorption and dispersion.


Now for the specifics in protection:


* Head and neck crushing and compression, twisting, extreme whiplash:
Cervical vertebrae are the most high risk and still exposed component. You may know firsthand about whiplash from a rear-end car collision, but this "always unprotected" portion of a person is difficult to protect against, particularly in crashes. In EMS we stabilize the head by holding it in-line with the body or in the position discovered if a neck injury is suspected, we rarely move it. The more you stabilize the head to act in-line with the larger mass of the body (or as one), the less chance for whipping around the neck and trashing your vertebrae and spinal cord in the process. When (equipped) airbag jackets deploy, they deploy an air cushion around the neck that greatly reduces the travel space between the base of a full face helmet and the inflated collar itself, permitting little if any travel (depending partially on neck length). Even with taller necks, the range of travel is severely limited. When a riders helmet (head) is impacted on a vehicle, the first counter-action that usually happens (besides the initial jolt to the helmet) is an extreme and immediate compression of the neck in the opposite direction of motion and travel of the rider (for example purposes just imagine a rag-doll when you press it head-first at an angle up against a wall. The neck of the rag-doll bends as does a rider's upon impact with a stationary object. Now put / imagine at least 2-3 fingers around the neck of the rag-doll and repeat... and you'll see there is less flex as the head moving and neck flexing motion is greatly absorbed (almost stopped) by your fingers.

* Spinal impact, compression, damage anywhere along the spine:

This is sort of a no-brainer. While you know your spine is strong enough to lift 100, 200 pounds, sometimes more, what people forget is that it's designed only that purpose... to lift and hold us up vertically. Very little protection and strength is present from an angle, side or perpendicular impact. (Ask anyone who has been hit hard in the back or has spinal damage.) What can damage a spine? A simple fall to the floor (my father-in-law is a living example of this right now. 2 weeks ago he fainted in the kitchen and probably hit a counter or the floor hard that shoved vertebrae and created bone fragments that are both pressing on his spinal cord - giving him a current paralysis of his left side). Remember my examples above? The body is extremely fragile and your spine is really no more protected than your neck when something hits it despite having more prominent larger bones. It doesn't flex as well, but that doesn't mean protection here shouldn't be paramount as neck and spine injuries are the most common and life-threatening debilitating vehicular injury in EMS for automobile drivers, much more so for motorcyclists (aside from the head being hit directly).


* Rib cage protection - augmented by upgradable armor padding as with the spine. Rib fracture and broken ribs are some of the chief problems for internal bleeding and death as they tear through the internal organs. If you have ever had a broken rib you know all about the pain... what you probably don't know is that bone can splinter, fragment and actually almost go flying through your chest cavity and organs if hit hard enough almost like a bullet. Because your rib cage is close to the surface, there is little soft skin, muscle, fat and tissue to absorb some of the impact. As such the rib cage is so very easily collapsible. I have accidentally broken ribs on patients doing CPR as have many doctors, nurses, medics and others... it's surprisingly easy to do, so this is also a key spot where impact dispersal (not absorption) is a critical component. Even if ribs break, if the majority of that is cushioned and spread out in an air-bag, the kinetic energy absorption eventually presented to the rib-cage itself will be a magnitude less if the impact is first made to the airbag.

* Tailbone/Hip protection - For the same reason armor was recommended above... armor + airbags distribute the force and permit the airbag to compress as it changes shape. The 2-4 inches of additional air-space (tough at that... not easily compressible), permits high impact absorption and reduces the force of the impact to your rear end. These can also result in lower-spinal injuries, broken hips (dangerous as they can in turn impact major arteries and lower internal organs). Due to the way that people go flying, if you look at the above videos you will see that a person's hips and rear become more exposed mid-flight before having the secondary impact. Remember, there is no way to protect everything with any solution but the most common methods for impact can be guarded against, and airbag jackets are an augment to the traditional layer of protection, not in-lieu of.



How can I drive these fundamentals home and show you? To illustrate these chief fundamental concepts, I could potentially craft a test and demonstration here. (I would be even willing to subject my own jacket to a controlled demonstration and comparison.) Such a (crude) controlled test might involve the following. (I'll consider this if parties are interested in comparing... I have at least 2 or 3 spare gas cylinders to re-pack and demo again after use.) Note: This is not an opportunity to show me up and "educate the new kid on the block in the error in the ways of his thinking", it's only if you're serious about considering improvements in YOUR safety, not mine. Keywords: Objective review for fundamental principles only.

Materials:
- Broom or mop with long handle, baseball bat maybe (something flat or non-sharp).
- Typical armored inserts used.
- Airbag jacket with armor inserts.


Test #1 - Don typical full PPE and have someone trustworthy use the handle or bat to give a small, gentle (but very tolerable) hit on the back over the spine. (One need not go crazy here as this is a little risky so this should start ridiculously light at first and the wearer should say said impacts are hard enough, a light touch is only needed at best to avoid injury). Potentially have the rider lean/semi-fall against a wall. Maybe repeat the same to the front of the torso and side of the rib cage. The rider should make a mental note of how each impact feels and describe them and across how widespread of an area it felt. Review the range of motion of the head and neck too - pay special attention here as this range would be indicative of the head travel that would occur in any accident involving a rider's head and helmet.

Test #2 - (Same rider) Don airbag jacket (with built in armor) full PPE, etc. as done prior. Repeat the same (gentle) test, describe differences in sensations of impact and surface area. Have the swinger again gradually increase the force. As a bonus, flop around on the grass or pavement with the jacket inflated to note the additional space separation of key areas of the rider from the hard surfaces. A little comical bouncing around on the ground will show that the air-bag is not soft, but very firm - intentionally so to permit compression of high-force impacts. (Should be done quickly as the vests start to deflate in 30-60 seconds after inflation - by design). Review the range of motion of the head and neck too - this part is very important... remember my note on spinal injuries above.

The tester can lean against a guardrail, other hard or flat object... possibly partially throw themselves on the ground from a sitting position. Repeat with both tests. The airbag is a textile jacket and the internal bag is tough enough to not pop like a party-balloon rolling around on say driveway concrete.Have someone else (not present from the initial review - to avoid bias/influence) try the very same tests then. Note results separately, then compare in a group review and discussion.

A moderate experiment:
Alternatively to having someone play whack-a-dude (and want to play it safer), we can then do the math behind example force (some equipment or tool used as a gauge) and impact through both sets of materials using a controlled / repeatable impact and level of force. While these are of course controlled limited and not entirely realistic conditions, they are meant to display dispersion/displacement of kinetic force and show absorption. Recall via your physics class of how force and kinetic energy is passed through materials... often to have an impact at the other end of the chain. Leather, foam and rubber padding can only absorb so much, usually directly and do not disperse that much. Air bags on the other hand, while having a smaller target area (intentionally for key area protection and also augmented by armor inserts of various sorts for additional protection), will cushion, absorb and relocate some of that energy.

A more simple fundamental (and safer) experiment:
Remember Newton's Cradle? (Google if you are not sure) Swinging that suspending metal ball transfers the force through the other balls with the biggest resulting kinetic action being the last one exhibits a near-identical swing outward. Now more dense and thinner material transfers this energy from one component to the next. If you were to insert a small balloon in the middle of Newton's cradle in place of one of the metal balls (same width - larger length to be representative of a jacket's larger surface are for energy absorption and dispersion), you'd see a notable and significant reduction in the kinetic output at the other end when impacts occur because the balloon of air absorbs and disperses some of the energy along a larger surface area (depending on the pressure in the balloon... the stiffer it is, the more energy passed on). This is relevant in that leather and armor are dense and as such pass more kinetic energy and potential through it to your spine and internal organs when a forceful impact occurs. (Try the Newton's Cradle experiment at home and report back on the results - remember the balloon should be larger and pressure scaled down to probably what a person can blow in.)


--- End of Act 2 ---




In Summary:


All demonstrations aside, this concept is already in use in every day life with the air bags in modern cars and trucks. They also can't protect against every scenario (which is why side curtain airbags are developed now and door air-bags... some with leg and knee air-bags now too I believe). But they are relevant for the most common types, for protecting against secondary and later impacts and help with ejection in general. Once ejected, it's not clear what a person will hit. The hard torso of a tree perhaps or a bunch of boulders, and an airbag jacket should help protect and mitigate impact injuries the moment the clip disconnects, or sooner if a sensor is triggered in a second generation system.

We already use airbag technology every day.  Put a driver in leathers it might help, but you don't necessarily see NHSTA recommendations for drivers to wear leather jackets in cars. My core point in this is that we not necessarily replace traditional jackets or gear here - but ADD to them. This technology is an additional layer of protection and should be seen as such, NOT in lieu of. Note that while most airbag jackets are textile for flexibility and provide room, the first leather airbag jackets are now available (with just enough room for airbag inflation). Layering is the core technological component I am advocating here - "additional" safety protection for the most dangerous types of events. As a final disclaimer and reminder - airbag jackets won't cover all circumstances as I've thrown out above, but it will cover the most common and likely impact areas to the ribs, spine, some for the pelvis/tail area and neck.


Regardless of your stance or opinion on any of the above, I hope folks will take the time to objectively review this technology on their own, consider it as an "additional" layer of protection and do a little homework on their own. It may require keeping an open mind when doing so. I will also try and post the testimonies I have found to date as well. I hope people can now understand why I prioritize PPE and why make it one of the critical components in any equation for mitigating risk, other considerations aside. It is in this concern for the safety of motorcyclists that I opted to make this post, knowing full well there would be objections and strong opinions raised, as I have often seen in other forums in my online research as well. So it's my hope that everyone will review and potentially consider this technology, if affordable and appropriate for their use in mitigating risk.

Gabe I hope you don't mind, I reposted this to Facebook. Well written and really well put together. Cheers. 

Rob, no problem at all. Once again I apologize for grammar and sentence structure, it was assembled sporadically throughout the course of the day, again with little sleep (the kind I should be getting right now, lol!) I'll clean it up a little this weekend.

Before I crash I wanted to post the TV story of the motorcyclist in Maryland a few years ago using an airbag jacket. It's a small segment, but relevant. I will also attempt to dig up more testimonials this weekend from riders who have experienced actual crashes with airbag jackets.

http://youtu.be/uoGDwBiTYdU

Good news for folks who want to maintain or continue to use their favorite jacket or have multiple jackets.



It also seems there is at least one system available now (the Helite Airbag Vest) that can be worn over a motorcycle jacket. This one presented in the Webbikeworld video is high visibility, not restrictive and fits neatly and snugly over his existing jacket. This is a perfect example of augmenting an existing set of PPE (leathers, armor, rain gear, etc.)



Note: If this was available when I got mine, I might have got this one instead, as the bright reflectivity and color go a long way for improving rider notice! I may still change over to something like this in the long run.





For the full review of the vest...