Motorbikes made safer with airbag jackets

Italian company Dainese has developed D-air Street, an airbag system incorporated into the rider's clothing and bike to protect those on two-wheels.

Road accidents still make up a large proportion of deaths each year and we’ve covered a number of examples designed to reduce fatalities — most recently the Volvo V40 external airbag. Seeking to provide better protection for motorcyclists, Italian company Dainese has developed D-air Street, an airbag system incorporated into the rider’s clothing and bike. Having already developed a working airbag sewn into clothing for motorcycle racing professionals, Dainese has now produced a version suitable for street riders. The protective gear comes in two parts – the J-Kit, which is the clothing unit, and the M-Kit, which is the bike unit. The J-Kit features a pneumatic gas system fitted into the rider’s clothing, which generates the air needed to fill the 12-liter airbags positioned at key points in the armour. An electronic radio system sends data between the bike and the riding gear to release the airbags upon detection of an event. The M-Kit comprises of sensors on the bike forks and frame as well as an electronic control unit which detects an impact. Once an event is identified, the system takes 45 milliseconds to deploy the airbag. Set to be released in May, the M-Kit is priced at GBP 389.99, the D-air Street Waistcoat will be available for GBP 639.99 and the D-air Street Gore-Tex for GBP 1,309.99. The video below shows the airbag in action: Statistics from Dainese suggest that D-air reduces the force of an impact on the body by up to 92 percent on the chest and 82 percent on the back. As a potentially important step towards improved safety for motorcyclists, perhaps one to partner with? Spotted by: Simon Wright