Collar airbag provides chic safety for pushbike riders
Bicycle riders who hate safety helmets that mess up their hair can breathe a sigh of relief, because there is now a way to keep your head safe and protected while bike riding — without wearing a helmet.
The answer is a Swedish invention by two fashion-conscious women, Terese Alstin and Anna Haupt, who  invented the Hovding safety scarf.
Safety is provided by an automatically-inflating airbag that the bike rider wears around the neck, like a large collar. The collar airbag has inbuilt motion sensors that inflate the air cushions immediately the cyclist starts to fall.
The sensors can detect an over-the-handlebars accident, or a rear impact, and even if the bicycle rider simply falls over sideways.
Once triggered, the airbag inflates and balloons up around the bike rider’s head like a large cushioned hood that is open at the front. The top, sides and back of the cyclist’s head are well protected, while an extended peak that sticks out over the wearer’s forehead manages to give a measure of face protection as well.
The Hovding safety scarf is not cheap, but it is chic. It is expected to retail for around $500 once it goes on sale. You can see it being tested on a crash dummy in the video below:
For further information, see www.hovding.com
