With motorcycle accidents on the rise and vehicle-related accidents at an all-time low (head over to WebBikeWorld for a recent report on road safety statistics), an Italian company has just patented what they believe to be the answer to road safety for riders.
Italdesign, a company providing development services for the automotive industry, is the inventor of the all-new smart seatbelt for motorists.
According to CycleWorld, the model has a computer system built into the interior of the seat. In the event of an accident, it will discern whether it is safer to hold the rider to the bike or allow the rider to be separated.
This has come from research performed on vehicle accidents, where a driver is guaranteed increased security in the safety cell of a car.
Italdesign has removed elements of this safety cell, reorienting them to conform to a motorist’s posture using a stiff backrest-style shell that straps in via the traditional shoulder and lap belts. The shell has a flexible joint that attaches to the bike, rendering the rider secure and propped in anticipation of a safe ride.
In the event of an overcooked corner, Italdesign’s Smart Seatbelt will decide to release the rider.
Should a contrasting event happen where the bike broadsides an automobile, the Smart Seatbelt will keep, the rider fixed to the bike, protecting the customer from the potential of being ricocheted over the hood and receiving further damage.
While the Smart Seatbelt may be seen as slightly unsettling – especially in fixation of rider to the seat of a bike – it appears to be geared more towards scooters and tourers, the sportbike position being too flexible for the Smart Seatbelt to be of any use.
With testing and prototype validation being foremost on ItalDesign’s agenda, The Smart Seatbelt will likely not be on the market until further testing is released.