Was on reddit today when I came across a post on the motorcycle subreddit about the safety of airbag systems in a crash. I thought it was interesting since these systems are becoming more prevalent in our sport. The poster doesn’t mention the manufacturer because they are in litigation, but it is implied to be alpinestars. I’m copying and pasting the details below from the post and they are not my words:
My life was changed by an airbag vest – and the manufacturer still refuses to take responsibility
Almost two years ago, I took part in a low-speed motorcycle training course. I crashed at around 45 km/h (28 mph) while wearing the latest airbag vest and leather suit – a set the manufacturer promoted as “fully compatible and safe.”
The airbag deployed with such intense pressure that my chest collapsed from the inside.
The result:
* 22 broken ribs
* 4 fractures in the collarbone
* A ruptured spleen
* A cracked pelvis
* 0 external injuries – not a single bruise.
3D scans show a perfect 1:1 match between the airbag’s pressure points and my internal injuries. There were no injuries outside the vest’s protection zones – and no damage to the leather suit. Since then, I’ve lived with constant pain, reduced function in my left arm, and lost the ability to work full-time.
I contacted the manufacturer immediately. They didn’t respond for six months. They promised access to the data – then broke that promise. The report I eventually received was based on a different suit, used the wrong riding position, and made no mention of my injuries.
It later became clear that **neither the vest nor the suit is CE-certified** – yet they’ve continued selling the products globally. I’ve reported the case to authorities in multiple EU countries, to data protection agencies, and to consumer watchdogs.
I’m sharing this because it could happen to someone else. Not because of speed. Not because of recklessness. But because we trust that “certified” safety gear has actually been tested and is safe. Mine wasn’t. And the manufacturer knows it.
The injuries lie beneath the back protector, which is completely undamaged and in a straight line. On the front, I had my phone in the inner jacket pocket – it’s also completely undamaged.
I'm writing this to warn others so they don’t get hurt. My suit was one size larger than I normally wear – and that may be the only reason I’m still alive today.
If he wears a leather suit, wouldn’t it be common sense to wear one large enough to accommodate the air bag system if it were to be activated? If it can’t expand outward, it’s going to go inward.
It hasn’t broken 22 ribs on Forkner, BamBam, and Jordon Smith yet, maybe this guy got his off teMu.
Good thing moto gear doesnt consist of leather onesies.
I believe it’s built into the suit, if it’s indeed an Alpinestars riding suit/ air bag setup.
But the lack of room to expand, does seem like it’s the cause of these injuries.
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I was waiting to see if this would be an issue at some point, but was hoping we never would. Just the way of the world now sadly.
“Common sense” doesn’t apply to uncommon things, like first generation torso airbags for cunts who are afraid of getting hurt in a sport that will hurt you if you fall. Why would you wear a loose fitting leather suit for the off chance you fall? The fear of falling has always been part of the thrill.
Now we just have a bunch of cunts wrapped in inflatable balloons. Fucking cunts. Take a hit like a goddamn man.
None of those wear leathers.
Astar vests are CE certified are they not? So was it some knock off brand? People suing for getting hurt on a motorcycle sort of just rubs me the wrong way.
Jeremy Macduff be like
Putting aside the whole question of at what point you’re straying into the territory of silliness by trying to bubble wrap yourself on a bike, it really shouldn’t be too much to expect that something sold as safety equipment shouldn’t kill you.
There’s always gonna be the issue of…
“If worn/used properly” and what constitutes that. Wearing a device that expands very quickly and with quite a bit of pressure/energy (2 canisters of compressed gas) is -obviously to some- going to require room to expand.
True. It’s got to be quite different with leathers that have little give compared to an mx jersey. If there’s that little room for error though - sized a little wrong and it becomes more dangerous than the crash - I wouldn’t wear it.
Leathers would need to be designed for use with the vest…wouldn’t you think?
One would certainly think so.
At least with Alpinestars they are, their respective suits are advertised as Tech-Air Ready and even branded on the suits. In this case it sounds like the user was using a compatible suit according to the post.
I’ll explain this in the most simple terms…I like riding dirt bikes. I go to work in order to afford riding dirt bikes (as well as afford normal living expenses of course). If I get hurt riding dirt bikes, not only can I no longer ride dirt bikes but I also can’t go to work, meaning I can’t afford dirt bikes anymore. Therefore, I do everything I can to make sure I can go to work and continue to afford dirt bikes.
From the title I wasn't sure if this was going to be about Leigh Diffey, Mirtl, or Cooksey.......
But they should fill those airbags with hydrogen, it'll keep you from hitting the ground so hard.
I was just reading through that thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycle/s/mL0yZ3co8n
Some pretty interesting discussion but my takeaway is that something unusual happened while the rider was wearing this that caused some issues and the rider is blaming the airbag. They even said they were taking a low speed motorcycle course so very much a novice rider, they probably have no idea what a crash with or without an airbag was like and just want to blame something. Who knows what injuries they may have sustained without the airbag. Some people are made of stone and some are made of glass, this person may just happen to be glass.
Pit Row
Wearing an airbag suit just to crash at 28mph in a training course. What a fuckin nerd 😂
The airbag broke his pelvis?
Yeah, that stands out as odd. Makes me wonder if we're getting the full story
Yea, then he says this in the comments:
>The airbag vest deployed, and the pressure was so intense that I blacked out and fell off the motorcycle. The pelvic fracture happened as part of the total trauma from that single event.
It just seems like his story is shifting.
Yes, take it like a man. Moran!
22 broken ribs
* 4 fractures in the collarbone
* A ruptured spleen
* A cracked pelvis
RST leathers have the airbags built into them, when you crash they don’t deflate until you replace the canister that is hidden in the back protector.
Alpinestars leathers are built to be compatible with their airbag systems that are worn separately under the leathers. You will see them with tec-air ready branded on the leathers.
If you wear an airbag system with leathers that aren’t designed for them this is probably what happens. I have crashed in both systems and set both off and you feel barely any pressure on your body. I can only speculate that the user did something wrong as it doesn’t make any sense how this could happen if everything was matched up correctly.
I also don’t see how it could ever happen under an mx top as even if you wear tops so tight that you look like you are going downtown to a gay bar it would just rip.
This is what happens when you put the airbag on inside out.
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