"Dozens of motorcyclists' lives could be saved every year if air bag jackets were made compulsory, accident and emergency doctors have said" according to Radio 1's Newsbeat on 13th February 2009.Just six days later Motorcycle News reported that; "The A&E doctor [quoted in the Newsbeat report] admitted having virtually no experience of the jackets, which inflate in a crash, and no evidence they work". He claims that he was quoted out of context.
Evidence is certainly scarce when it comes to airbag jackets. By law, all impact protectors for motorcyclists must be independently tested and approved to the relevant European standards (EN1621-1 for limbs/chest and EN1621-2 for the back).
In spite of "CE-approved" logos appearing on most manufacturers' websites, none of the airbag jackets advertised make any reference to their airbags meeting these standards (although some may contain CE-approved armour in addition to the airbag).
Interestingly the following statement appears on the website of a company manufacturing airbag jackets for horse riders; "The .... air jacket offers additional protection, but we recommend it to be worn with traditional protective riding wear such as the EM13158 (sic) body protector." Apart from the mis-print (the standard for equestrian protectors is actually EN13158) it seems that manufacturer advises riders to wear their airbag jacket in addition to body armour. Not exactly a vote of confidence.
Before making claims about the protective qualities of airbags fitted to motorcycle clothing, first manufacturers need to demonstrate that these products meet the basic legal requirements for impact protectors, particularly as there is a substantial price premium for this technology. Until then, their claims are little more than hot air.
No comments:
Post a Comment