Hacker News Reader

I dont have time to read the whole of this very interesting but LONG article to see if he mentions airbag helmets.

I am skeptical about how well these airbags protect one's face, but its an interesting new take on protecting your head.

http://www.hovding.com/en/how_it_works?/en/how

They also have airbag jackets for motorcyclists

http://www.bikebone.com/Air-Vest-Motorcycle-Airbag-Hit-Air.h...

View on HN

Might be worth noting that the motorcyle ones were developed in MotoGP and have been crash tested several times now. Here's an example from a couple weeks ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uv88fiB3v6w

They both walked away from that.

These are a godsend for the motorcycle racing community. Now they just need to come down in price.

I've seen air vests for horseback riding as well. I wonder how horseback riding helmets compare to bicycle helmets.

Although they aren't designed for impact mitigation, there are also airbag vests for snowboarders and skiers in case they get caught in an avalanche. The vest inflates large enough and helps you "float" to the top of the snow wave that engulfs you.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com