Cyclists have often raised concerns over safety issues. Due to the lack of cycling infrastructure and unorganised traffic in cities, cycle enthusiasts often let go of their eco-friendly commute options. Well, with a new invention by a Swedish startup, man’s old rustic friend may soon flood the streets again.
Hovding, based out of Malmo, Sweden, has come up with the world’s first airbag for cyclists. The airbag is designed like a hood, which inflates and provides shock absorption in case of an accident, and protects all of the head, leaving only the field of vision open.
The airbag has advanced censors to detect a cyclist’s surroundings. These censors “take measurements 200 times a second to make a decision on whether it should inflate or not,” Fredrik Carling, the CEO of Hovding, told Cycling Weekly. There is no danger of the airbag going off when not in use either, Fredrik added.
The mechanism consists of two parts, a collar and a cover. The collar, which encloses the airbag system, is made of black, dirt-repellent, waterproof material, to be comfortably worn around the neck; while the cover is easy to remove and wash. According to the Hovding website, a cyclist can use covers of different colours to match his/her outfit, which are made available on their online shop.
