RiDE INVESTIGATES
Life-saving piece of kit, or just another way of getting more money out of bikers?
IT WASN’T LONG ago that airbags in motorcycle kit were eyed with suspicion. Early attempts often relied on cumbersome tethers to be triggered and used the sort of CO2 canisters found in tyre inflation kits, resulting in slow inflation.
But that has changed thanks to modern, electronic triggers that eliminate tethers, combined with fast-reacting inflators that take milliseconds to puff you up like Bibendum. So, should we all be wearing them?
The FIM made airbag leathers mandatory in MotoGP in 2018 and the same rule has spread to other FIM-governed classes for both circuit racing and, from 2024, rally raid.
Most MotoGP riders will attest to the success of airbags as they reduce the number of injuries. But racing and road ‐riding are disparate – not only are the speeds different but, importantly, so are the surroundings.
There are huge differences between the injuries road riders experience in different parts of the world. In China and India – where vast numbers of motorcyclists are concentrated in cities and rarely wear protective kit – head injuries are the biggest problem. In contrast, in Europe – where riders are generally well ‐equipped and almost always helmeted– legs and extremities are the most common injury sites.
It’s not just down to us, either; both Honda and Yamaha have set ambitious targets to end fatalities on their bikes (and in the case of Honda, cars) by 2050. That’s going to take some serious work, and airbags are sure to be part of the solution. They’re not doing it for fun, either: in an increasingly risk-averse world they know it’s vital to make their products safe if they’re to be allowed to remain on sale.
Leading the way
A less familiar name, but an important one nonetheless, is Autoliv. A global automotive safety supplier based in Sweden that pioneered the seat belt in the 1950s, Autoliv today is the world leader in in-car safety, employing 69,100 staff in 27 countries.
It reckons its products save around 35,000 lives per year, but it aims to increase that to 100,000 by 2030. Airbags for motorcyclists are key to hitting that target.
There’s a good chance if you have a car, it already has an Autoliv bag inside the steering wheel. In future the same is likely to apply to jackets, helmets and even bikes themselves, with the first mass-produced bike featuring a built-in Autoliv airbag expected in 2025.
