USA: First Documented Case Of Airbag Jacket Saving Life

Sorry folks, but this has all the elements of an Internet Hoax to me. Look at the picture. It appears to be a motorcycle State Trooper. It says he was doing 140 mph. I don't think there are many cop sickles, except for some of the BMWs, that would do that speed. And I doubt if most officers would ride that fast in normal circumstances.

Mike I think you ought to investigate this one to be sure it is really true.

FWIW

Sorry for the delay Greg, just when I finished typing in my answer, my hosting company's firewall crashed....

The photo I guess is my mistake. There was none I could use, so I used one from Impact's website, it's a cop demonstrating their jacket, so it's not that of the crash. I guess I should have mentioned it....

Not a hoax.

This is where you find the interview with the survivor. Hope this helps.

{ Link }

This is true, I would buy their stock...

This isa true story and playing on other media outlets like CNN, which means airbag jackets are about to get very popular.

USA: First Documented Case Of Airbag Jacket Saving Life

"...at that speed should have died if it weren't for his Impact Jacket."

MotoGP and World SBK riders wearing traditional leathers and back braces come off at 140mph with some regularity and survive with minor injuries.

RLCanon

Except racer riders have very special leathers, with very few obstacles and clear sliding paths. Big differences. Plus, they don't have "jackets", ie something with pockets in which you can put things, shelter you from the rain, etc...

USA: First Documented Case Of Airbag Jacket Saving Life

Racers leathers are hardly very special. They are high quality leathers, but they're pretty traditional. I haven't even heard of them using thixiotropic impact absorbing materials yet, which is a bit surprising.

The speed of crash doesn't really affect your impact with the pavement. Sure you slide further but that's the easy part to protect against.

The clear sliding paths on race tracks are the most important factor, I'd say this guy had that going for him too, unlike people carving up twisty roads.

What I'm getting at is that I don't think the jacket saved his life, I'm not impressed by the initial speed of 140 mph, and I'm not even convinced that it did that much to mitigate injury. We've really been told nothing about the accident that is proof of the jackets efficacy.

USA: First Documented Case Of Airbag Jacket Saving Life

Sorry, I meant to say rheopectic or anti-thixiotropic, that is, it stiffens on impact. Thixiotropic padding would be a bit of a waste of time and money :)

Hi Mig, I don't think the type of leather used matters in this case, it's the difference between wearing leathers and no leathers.

I think we all agree that leathers are the best protection from road rash, and armor in the leathers are great against crashes.

But most people can't wear leathers every time (like going to work). A jacket is a great alternative, and an airbag jacket is an even better one.

If you read the little article I put on this site yesterday, it's from a French motormag that had tested an airbag jacket using a stuntman. There's a video on their site, showing the stunt.

Afterwards, they interview the stuntman (in French). When asked if he'd use one, he said "Yes, no question from now on".

In the beginning, I was dubious about this. Now, I'm convinced that it's not a bad safety addition. Would I buy one...? ... probably when I need to change my jacket.

"But most people can't wear leathers every time (like going to work)."

Really? I manage. It takes five minutes to get changed from full leathers to suit. Everything goes in the panniers.

It's stupid not to wear your protective gear on the very journeys that you take most often. And, for most commuters, you're out their at the busiest times of day, with drivers who are putting their foot down to get to work on time. NOT a time to skip the gear.

I couldn't agree more. Safety is very important. But not everyone has the luxury of panniers, or even arriving at work and changing. There are a lot of business folks who ride bikes and scooters, and they can't arrive in leathers, so they opt of a motorcycle jacket that looks a bit "normal".