Swedish Company Develops New Airbags for Motorcycle Riders

Ask any motorcyclist what the most dangerous part of riding is and most of them will tell you, "People in cars that aren't paying attention." Not too long ago, an airbag suit was developed to help reduce the number of deaths and injuries to riders. Autoliv Inc., out of Sweden has developed a new system that should cut the numbers even further.

The system uses an airbag mounted in the A-Pillar of the car. When a front end impact is detected, the airbag will inflate, covering most of the hood and some of the windshield. Studies show that many of the injuries and fatalities could be avoided if this simple measure was taken. In fact, the Dutch Cycling Federation estimates that over 60 lives could be saved and over 1500 serious injuries could be avoided every year by using these airbags.

The system won't only serve motorcycle riders however, it will cover pedal bikes and pedestrians as well. Obviously these accidents will be at a much lower speed, but the impact on the hood will still be reduced by a significant amount. It should else help in the event of a head on collision with another car if either the driver or passenger is ejected through the windshield.

No official word on where or when the system will be installed, but with so much potential, it shouldn't take long.

Source : Autoblog