‘World’s first airbag for cyclists’ to be showcased at UK conference

12.00 | 24 October 2016 | | 4 comments

The CEO of the Swedish company behind the world’s first airbag for cyclists will showcase his product to delegates attending a one-day conference in London early next year.

Fredrick Carling, from Hovding (the name of the company and the ‘airbag’), will fly to the UK to present at the London Road Safety Council’s (LRSC) ‘Safer Cities, Safer Futures’ conference in January 2017.

The one-day event, which marks the LRSC’s centenary, will look at the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for road safety professionals working in cities across the UK.

Mr Carling’s presentation will explain how, through advanced sensors, Hövding can sense a cyclist’s movement patterns and then activate in the event of a collision. When activated, the airbag will inflate, fix the neck position and provide ‘the world’s best shock absorption’.

Hövding says the inflated airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and protects virtually all of the head, while leaving the field of vision clear. A video produced to promote the product (featured), has been viewed more than 110m times online.

The LRSC Centenary Conference, which is sponsored by RedSpeed and supported by Road Safety GB and a host of other road safety organisations, will be held at the Guildhall in the City of London on 24 January 2017.

More than 120 delegates have booked to attend and 12 companies will exhibit alongside the conference.

The agenda and speaker line up is virtually complete and includes presentations covering cycling, motorcycling, pedestrian safety, shared space, autonomous vehicles and 20mph limits.

The conference will be followed by an early evening drinks and canapes reception which will include an address by James Cracknell OBE, LRSC President.

The delegate fee (which includes the drinks reception) is £95 for attendees from the public and third sectors and academia, and £145 for others (both prices plus VAT).

Click here to visit the event website or here to book to attend, or for more information contact Sally Bartrum on 01379 650112.

 

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    Let’s just stop any hysteria about this device being a good idea right now. The main reason it won’t catch on is because bicycle users would not wear something that acts like a scarf around their neck all the time. Even in winter a scarf is either not always worn or can need to be loosened when the rider becomes warm. As stated before on this site, it would be more desirable to remove the problem of “needing” to wear helmets/air-bags.


    Andy Thorpe, Birmingham
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    Should they be made compulsory like seat-belts in cars? If not, why not if they are proven to reduce injury severity? Should they be issued free of charge to all cyclists? If not, why not?


    Charles, England
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    The video seems to show that the inflated “helmet” projects significantly beyond the face and skull with the inflated collar supporting the neck and jaw. The test results show significantly better protection to the cyclist and at higher speeds of impact than a conventional cycle helmet can achieve. Both the Swedish and the EU CE accreditation criteria requirements have been met.

    The look of it is irrelevant because it is only seen when deployed; in fact putting on a plain or jazzily covered collar could be much more appealing to many leisure and commuter cyclists rather than wearing a helmet all the time. Airbag jackets have protected many motorcyclists and horse riders and saved them from more serious injury. If this invention gets more cyclists’ heads protected from severe injury in the event of a crash, it is surely something to be welcomed.


    Honor Byford, Chair, Road Safety GB
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    Virtually most of the head, but not including the facial area where a lot of damage can be cause to the mandible area including the eyes and cheeks jaw and chin. Looks like a mobile hairdryer’s apparatus – perhaps a good idea but I can’t see it taking on.


    Bob Craven, Lancs
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