Oct 17 2007The Impact Jacket Protects Ya' Neck

impact-jacket.jpg

The Impact jacket helps protect your delicate head and neck in case you get into a motorcycle accident. It's a padded jacket that features an airbag that deploys if you're launched from your bike. It works via a lanyard that you attach to the frame. If the lanyard is pulled with greater than 25-35 lbs of force, a CO2 cartridge deploys the bag while you're flying through the air/sliding on the pavement. Apparently it works well, because some dude in Maryland flew over 100 ft in excess of 140 mph and walked away with only minor injuries. I'm getting one for sure, and I only ride a bicycle. Ever since the training wheels came off, I've had a hard time controlling that thing.

Wearable airbags for motorcyclists [core77]

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Reader Comments

First

Second assholes

Anyone ever read Snow Crash?

Honestly, after that one scene in one of the James Bond movies where they crash in the snow and his jacket deploys a large inflatable sphere, I've been waiting for one of these airbags for motorists to appear. Very nice. I hope they do save lives, otherwise, bikers (the non-pedaling kind) will still be referred to as "organ donors."

why was the so freaking cool top 6 changed?

Stylish jacket, Clever ideas, It will save lives.

It was 70mph. And he didn't fly a 100ft...he *slid* a 100 ft. Some journalist decided to to creative math between his going 70mph one direction, and the road going 70mph in the opposite direction, and came up with the (flawed) conclusion that the impact must've occurred at 140mph. Being an idiot (referring to the journalist) is not illegal. In actuality, your impact rate when you go into a slide (like McFatter did) is quite low...you're falling from a height of about 4ft. The horizontal velocity is scrubbed off gradually as you slide to a stop. Did the jacket save his life? I suppose it contributed to him still being alive. But a rugged denim jacket could do the same if the conditions were the same (speaking from experience). He didn't actually smack anything other than the ground (which again...you only hit with the force of having fallen 4ft). Think about it...if the trauma of what he went through was so severe...why are his legs not broken? Had he smacked something, it would've been more conclusive.

Wow. You wrote a lot.

#3 - Yes. Great read.

How much does it cost to recharge? I can just picture a pack of knuckleheads on crotch rockets pulling each others lanyards as a goof.

But... we like ragdoll physics :(


I think- speaking from experience- i'd take this over a rugged denim jacket anyday, especially as very few people slide for 100ft on a public road. race track yes. on a public road you there's a very high probability you'll to hit something and get thrown about.

If you are looking for more hardcore snow stunts, check out Consumptionjunction.com.

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