Difference between revisions of "Motorcycle safety"

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The second airbag device which is now available is an inflatable airbag jacket. A rider can wear an airbag jacket that is tethered to the motorcycle, so if he or she is thrown from the bike during a collision, the jacket will automatically inflate for a 20&nbsp;second period to provide a cushion for the rider. This will lessen the upper body and internal injuries to a rider that may often be fatal. Mugen Denko pioneered the development of airbag jackets in 1985 and conducted many tests,<ref>{{Citation|last=Thrush |first=Denny T.|title=Coming Soon?|newspaper=American Motorcyclist|pages=30|date=May 2002|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=__oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&dq=%22Mugen+Denko%22&hl=en&ei=WmzhS_CcFJGINpmBiaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Mugen%20Denko%22&f=false | issue = 5 | volume = 56 | accessdate = 2010-05-05 | issn = 0277-9358 | publisher = American Motorcyclist Assoc}}</ref> although the idea was initially patented in Hungary in 1976.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.motor-airbag.com/doksi.html | title= Documents of the invention | accessdate= 26 May 2010}}</ref>
The second airbag device which is now available is an inflatable airbag jacket. A rider can wear an airbag jacket that is tethered to the motorcycle, so if he or she is thrown from the bike during a collision, the jacket will automatically inflate for a 20&nbsp;second period to provide a cushion for the rider. This will lessen the upper body and internal injuries to a rider that may often be fatal. Mugen Denko pioneered the development of airbag jackets in 1985 and conducted many tests,<ref>{{Citation|last=Thrush |first=Denny T.|title=Coming Soon?|newspaper=American Motorcyclist|pages=30|date=May 2002|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=__oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&dq=%22Mugen+Denko%22&hl=en&ei=WmzhS_CcFJGINpmBiaID&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22Mugen%20Denko%22&f=false | issue = 5 | volume = 56 | accessdate = 2010-05-05 | issn = 0277-9358 | publisher = American Motorcyclist Assoc}}</ref> although the idea was initially patented in Hungary in 1976.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.motor-airbag.com/doksi.html | title= Documents of the invention | accessdate= 26 May 2010}}</ref>
Full inflation of these jackets can now be achieved in 25ms.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} The majority of the airbag jackets on the market are tethered to the motorcycle, but [[Dainese]] has a technology called D-Air which has a built-in computer chip. This computer chip constantly detects the rider’s environment and if it detects a collision, the jacket will then self-inflate. This jacket is currently aimed specifically at the racing environment and undergoing testing by Dainese-sponsored riders. Hit Air, the maker of another airbag jacket, performed tests on its jacket which showed that its safety effectiveness surpassed that of a normal riding jacket or a jacket with extra padding protection.  Little independent testing has been done to date on the effectiveness of these devices <ref>http://www.trace-project.org/publication/archives/trace-wp4-wp6-d4-1-1-d6-2.pdf</ref>. The airbag jackets provide reusable airbag protection to the neck, chest, back, shoulders, hips, bottom and spine. Cost of airbag jackets are approx $US500.
Full inflation of these jackets can now be achieved in 25ms. The majority of the airbag jackets on the market are tethered to the motorcycle, but [[Dainese]] has a technology called D-Air which has a built-in computer chip. This computer chip constantly detects the rider’s environment and if it detects a collision, the jacket will then self-inflate. This jacket is currently aimed specifically at the racing environment and undergoing testing by Dainese-sponsored riders. Hit Air, the maker of another airbag jacket, performed tests on its jacket which showed that its safety effectiveness surpassed that of a normal riding jacket or a jacket with extra padding protection.  Little independent testing has been done to date on the effectiveness of these devices <ref>http://www.trace-project.org/publication/archives/trace-wp4-wp6-d4-1-1-d6-2.pdf</ref>. The airbag jackets provide reusable airbag protection to the neck, chest, back, shoulders, hips, bottom and spine. Cost of airbag jackets are approx $US500.


As demand for safety measures increases, so the need for motorcycle airbags may grow in popularity over the coming years. Yamaha and Suzuki are currently testing airbag systems, so they will be available on additional motorcycles and so that more people will request airbag devices more often. According to Honda’s web site, the Goldwing model motorcycle currently retails for US$23,099 and the airbag is only an additional US$1,250 option.
As demand for safety measures increases, so the need for motorcycle airbags may grow in popularity over the coming years. Yamaha and Suzuki are currently testing airbag systems, so they will be available on additional motorcycles and so that more people will request airbag devices more often. According to Honda’s web site, the Goldwing model motorcycle currently retails for US$23,099 and the airbag is only an additional US$1,250 option.