Motorcyclists are about 28 times more likely to die in an auto accident than other car passengers, but a new pair of pants from the company Airbag Inside Sweden AB aims to make the ride a bit safer for motorcyclists.
The pants look like a regular pair of jeans, but they are secretly equipped with airbags in the legs which are triggered in case of an accident. The pants are tethered to the bike and are designed to inflate if the rider is pulled away from the motorcycle, much like emergency stop cords on a treadmill.
Although the design may sound a little silly, this could actually be a lifesaving technology for motorcyclists. Inflatable vests have been popular in the motorcycling community for years, but this is the first time the technology has been pioneered in pant form. The pants can also be deflated, refilled, and reused over and over again. In addition to the added impact protection of inflation, the jeans themselves are made from extra-strong Aramid fibers that resist wear and tear.
Airbag Inside Sweden AB founder, Moses Shahrivar, has been working on motorcycle safety wear for 16 years. He initially launched his career designing leather-lined protective pants for Harley-Davidson.
The company has raised €150,000 from the European Union so far to bring their design to market. The jeans are currently in the test crash safety phase to meet European product health and safety standards.
