
Company creates bicycle airbag to replace helmets (2014) - lifeisstillgood
http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20140626-no-helmet-no-problem
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nthcolumn
"We're sorry but this site is not accessible from the UK as it is part of our
international service and is not funded by the licence fee."

Bizarrely UK users ie. those who have to pay for the BBC have to use a cloak
to access this content. At least the charter is up this year. Hopefully all
the BBC will be 'not funded by the license fee' soon.

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teacup50
If you want to see what things will be like if they're "not funded by the
license fee", look at America's media.

Appreciate any form of actual journalism while you have it.

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dazc
BBC's standards of journalism are going much the same way I'm afraid.

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mattkatzbaby
My sweetie ordered one of these for me for Crimblemas. They didn't ship to the
US so she had a friend get it in the UK. Then they shipped it to the US.

It never arrived.

We did some digging and apparently US customs seized the explosive device I
was being shipped and destroyed it.

And that's how the US Gov't blew up my crimble present.

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userbinator
I'm not too surprised - automotive airbags contain explosives.

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habitue
"No helmet at all" implies it's safer not to wear a helmet. I think that puts
this title in the misleading/linkbait category. Plus it's basically an ad for
this company.

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dang
If anyone can suggest an accurate, neutral title, we'll change it.

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jbob2000
"Company creates bicycle airbag to replace helmets"

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dang
Done. Thanks!

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Zigurd
Worldwide, more than 25% of road traffic deaths are pedestrians and
bicyclists. Improved active safety, like head protection, collision warning,
and automatic audible and visual warning for drivers are badly needed. And
cars should be required to have autonomous braking that looks for bicyclists
and pedestrians ahead and in the "right hook" zone.

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neonfreon
Is the "right hook zone" referring to making a right turn into someone
crossing an intersection?

Just curious, have you seen any research on the efficacy (and cost efficiency)
of those features you say should be required?

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Zigurd
Hard numbers seem to be hard to come by, but this article gives at least a
qualitative balance of costs and benefits:
[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-
transpo...](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-
transport/11070680/Autonomous-braking-biggest-safety-improvement-since-seat-
belt.html)

What's interesting is the case for a subsidy based on reducing government
costs when people are killed and injured. reduced insurance costs could also
make the time-to-payback for individual purchasers very short.

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jchrisa
It's tough to convince people (in Europe) to wear helmets without a
surrounding culture of jokes about killing vulnerable road users. Maybe if
they really want to sell helmets in Europe they need to import American
drivers.

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adventured
That's a pretty unfair criticism. Fatalities per 100,000 vehicles, the US
ranks #24 best (lowest) in the world among nations not the size of Maldives.

To put it into perspective, Russia and Mexico are four times worse; Brazil is
five times worse; Colombia is six times worse; the Philippines and China are
ten times worse; India is 15 times worse; Venezuela is 20 times worse; Nigeria
is 30 times worse.

Adjusting for miles driven per capita, the US comes out ahead of about 18
European nations, and is comparable to France and Spain.

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jchrisa
It's not about the outcomes it's about the attitude. Which is only held (acted
on) by I'd guess less than 1% of drivers, who think when they see a cyclist
that they should "teach her a lesson." This attitude doesn't show up in the
European countries I've cycled in.

It's the existence of that attitude that keeps parents from biking / walking
their kids to schools merely blocks away. I've never cycled in countries
without basic infrastructure, it would be interesting to see how closely cycle
danger correlates to car danger.

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dmethvin
These have been around for a few years, I remember seeing a video of the
"helmet" inflating. Here's the one I could find, which is a lot more annoying
than the one I recall:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tDy4InLcXU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tDy4InLcXU)

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TwiztidK
This looks like a better video:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Oud3iGXWY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Oud3iGXWY)

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jokr004
I can't help but imagine this thing malfunctioning and completely strangling
some poor biker.

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jlebrech
"sorry British Broadcasting Corporation worldwide, cannot be accessed from
Britain because this part isn't supported by the license fee"

pretty arrogant of them to assume someone from Britain is paying a TV license.

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Shivetya
riding both motorcycles and bicycles I never have felt as safe on the bicycle
as my motorcycle. Part of that might come from wearing a full face helmet and
protective gear on the motorcycle but even if I had the same protective gear
regular bicycle helmets just feel wrong. The sensation of speed is wholly
different, speeds over the mid twenties on the bicycle feel as dangerous as
speeds on the motorcycle over a hundred.

Still nothing disappoints me more than the number of children I see riding
everyday without any protection

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learnstats2
OK, but your perception is wrong.

[http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/transportt...](http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/Risk/transporttrav.html)
Motorcyclists are 3 times more likely to die per kilometre.

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ojbyrne
They have recently announced a newer version of this:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHIOD67PKCY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHIOD67PKCY)

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dvdfvo
It is really big. Notice how the people shown wearing it in still shots, also
wear bulky or winter clothing. I don't see how could you wear the helmet in
the summer along with a t-shirt and shorts and not look ridiculous. A backpack
variant, even if larger, would be better for social acceptance.

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josefresco
Not much in the way of face protection. In the linked video provided by
another HNer I see the face gets some protection from the "visor" but not all
falls are perfect faceplants on flat surfaces.

In the "culture" of racing/biking - a biker with a "bucket" helmet is a sure
sign that the rider is more concerned with vanity than safety (is is just a
noob)

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mproy
Sounds like you're talking about motorcycle helmets instead of bicycle
helmets.

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Swizec
Depending on the type of biking you do, bicycle helmets have face protection:
[https://www.google.com/search?q=downhill+bike+helmet&espv=2&...](https://www.google.com/search?q=downhill+bike+helmet&espv=2&biw=1341&bih=897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=kSBWVf_GIIGayASTt4FQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg)

They _look_ like motocross helmets, but are much thinner and lighter.

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joebadmo
June 26, 2014

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amelius
How do they detect the need to unfold?

Also, I'm wondering about a full-body version for motor riders.

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d--b
There are sensors in the device. They're activated by a battery that starts
when you put the thing on and clip the zipper. You have to charge the battery
every 3 weeks or so. I've got one and have been using it for a month. So far I
didn't fall, and the stuff hasn't been triggered by any of my jumps on and off
the sidewalk. It's much more comfortable than a standard helmet. It's very
expensive though.

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pikewood
Is it reusable, or is it a one time deploy?

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milesokeefe
One time.

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jkrejci
Old news.

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michaelochurch
Dangerously misleading title.

It does not establish that no helmet is better, but only that helmets might be
improved by technology into a form that is more like an airbag (there when you
need it) and less like a traditional helmet.

