Motorcyclist Survives Accident Wearing Airbag Jacket

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From the article:

Joseph McPhatter, of Randallstown, was injured in a crash on Interstate 83 after being cut off by another motorist in September. According to police, McPhatter was ejected 100 feet, hitting the ground at an impact rate of 140 mph.
With respect to TriggerT's comment about the likely speed differentials involved and riding like a jackass: sometimes riding like a jackass makes for good gear test conditions.

Just saying.
A volunteer crash test dummy. Squids are good for something after all.

 
I think it is a great safety system...

I don't know if I would go around thinking it will automaticly save my ass, to many variibles, But a great way of improving MC safety....From outside the box....

I remember years ago when I road my rockets on the street like I raced on the track... I remember me and some other young and dumb friends joking about those top speed runs where you could see your impending doom.. truck/car pull out on you or something... And we would talk about pulling the rip cord on our newly invented "second chance parachute ejection system" and just getting yanked out of your shorts off the bike and having a soft landing to safety... After watching the crash show from aloft!!!

Hahahahhahaahaaha!

What do ya know!!

WW

 
$400 seems a bit pricey, and it already takes me too darn long to wire up for sound and get settled, but one slide on the hard stuff and I would probably move my opinion to the "priceless" category.

 
Scuse Me,,,, But doesn't anyone else find it a little strange that " He Hit the Ground at 140 MPH"..... Regardless of the other vehicles speed, He cannot accelerate from the speed that he was traveling.

I'm thinking this is a bunch of BS.

 
Seems like it might help some beyond conventional gear but not at all convinced. If race drivers start wearing airbag jackets...that would do it.

 
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Nice jacket good hi tech features and does what it should minumize the amount of crippling injuries.

Was wondering when some one would build one..

remember seat belts do not save lives why have one????

 
Maybe an "airvest" under the Cycleport?
LC
+1. Have to agree the concept is a good idea, not staking my life on it, but sounds like quaility gear, just needs his skin covered with some good gear on top like some CyclePort Kevlar to help eleminate the road rash. PM. <>< ;)

 
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OK. I'm not a doctor or engineer so I hope someone can help me out here. I can see where the neck brace might be of some use but isn't it the sudden stop that hurts you? When you look at airbags in cars they are huge and also hleped by the crumple zones of the vehicles and seatbelts. From the looks of it you only have a few inches to slow down with the airbags in the jacket and in the meantime your organs haven't slowed a bit. This is what causes internal injuries. So if you are wearing proper gear you should be protected from road rash. I don't see where this is very helpful.

 
OK. I'm not a doctor or engineer so I hope someone can help me out here. I can see where the neck brace might be of some use but isn't it the sudden stop that hurts you? When you look at airbags in cars they are huge and also hleped by the crumple zones of the vehicles and seatbelts. From the looks of it you only have a few inches to slow down with the airbags in the jacket and in the meantime your organs haven't slowed a bit. This is what causes internal injuries. So if you are wearing proper gear you should be protected from road rash. I don't see where this is very helpful.

While I agree, there is not much "crumple zone", as a recent member of the pavement body slam and crash clubs. I can't help but think that every inch counts. Even an airbag that is only 1-3 inches thick cushioning the impact has to be better than ...nothing.

LC

 
What kind of listing does this jacket have on it, is it a U.L. or ANSI or snell listing?

As this jacket progress in development from now it is and will be a very good safety feature for a rider.

I going to look at a possible purchase

If I were to go flying over off the bike and was landing on a hard surface like asphalt I would most definitely would rather land with and impact air bag than just bike gear made of kevlar. Regular riding gear mostly protects from road rash when sliding down the road or other rough surfaces, very little impact protection from that type of gear. Just look at the injuries.

Another benefit would be from your insurance company like a discount for having an impact bag along with your regular gear, kind of like an air bag discount.

Now I know there are a lot of situations out there that this would not be applicable. so now all the negativity can start to slam the commet and the product,. Whose first?????

weekend rider

 
Not trying to be negative but I always look at the pros and cons. After viewing the website I see it doesn't behave like an airbag and deflate. Thats good for the multiple hits you are likely to encounter on the streets after an accident. Maybe since I don't plan on going 140 mph or cruise thereabouts maybe I don't have to worry about a ruptured aorta or kidneys or liver or spleen or lung (did I forget anything?). I do know that the better shape you are in the better you will survive an accident. So I have a couple of months to hit the gym before I ride again anyway. :D Thats time to look into this more also.

 
Seems like it might help some beyond conventional gear but not at all convinced. If race drivers start wearing airbag jackets...that would do it.
Dainese is doing it right now. Airbag deploys out of the hump (racing leathers). There is a picture of Simone Grotzkyj in class-A get off at Valenica during 125cc GP practice on page 20 of January TWO magazine looking like he was attached by a squid. According to the blurb, " . . . this is the latest invention by Dainese and will be on road leathers in the very near future."

 
You are partially correct in staying, the better shape you are in you will survive the accident better.If an in shape person hits the ground at 60mph and a non in shape person hits the ground who has the most damage? The in shape may heal faster but not always true same applies for the non in shape so it depends on the person an what gets hurt

I am not trying to pic a fight but to look at in more objectively. If I apply your statement to situations is does not hold true or other words myths.

If all people are fat they should die young. Than all non fat people should be healthy and live a long and prosperious life.

Than why do non fat people die sooner than some fat people and why do non fat people have more medical problems than some fat people.

Statements like these are untruth and can not be applied to each and every incident.

It is reasonable for a person to question the product but the research and development and the researchers have a lot at stake and are usually correct.

To real get a perspective on this new product ask your insurance company about it and its statistical information relating to its effectiveness for preventing injuries. They will have the final say for the private market..

Air jackets, neck braces pants, etc is most likely the next wave of better protection. And then there will be something new to replace it so and so on.

Isn'n the mind a womderful thing for dreaming up new products and uses.example: ie. skyway's drink holder a great idea, but was it condemed before it hit the market? No, I believe he did some research to perfect it beefore marketing it.

Look objectively and think postivetly= good results

 
Look objectively and think postivetly= good results
I agree with your qoute wholeheartedly. My injury/ health statement was meant to apply principally towards trauma injuries. Though research is showing having more body fat does help with some injuries and diseases. Also researchers have alot at stake and can be wrong on many accounts. Especially when they are looking at the bottom line and the returns a product will bring. And they fail more than we know...think thalidomide, my ford pinto, and the steering shaft on my 2002 chevy impala which needs replacement for the second time. I'm looking at this jacket and wondering how hot is it. Does it causes a rider to get so hot that they suffer from heat fatigue and end up in an accident which may not have happened if the rider was more alert? Thier video shows a guy with his arms exposed! I am still waiting on a reply from state farm about any discounts or statistics. It would be nice to have a discount which would help on the cost of it. But on the same hand I wouldn't want to put my money into something that may not be all that helpful. And this is not a fight or anything. Just a discussion. Like I stated before, this might even help the product get improved. Just look at the 08 fjr!!! :clapping: State farm just returned my call....no discount. :angry:

 
Art rider good points sometimes a little dialog opens up a different perpective about how thinhgs work and should work about a new product comming to market.

You have made several good cons as well as pros so I would like to say thnanks for your input about this new product,cause one can not think of each and every detail.

Hopefully through more r&d it will become more prarical and an added safety device for motorcycling.

weekend rider :)

 
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