You're riding your bike, helmet snug on your head, when you hit something unseen and go flying over the handlebars. A moment before you crash into the pavement, an airbag zooms out of your backpack, surrounding you in safety. It seems like something from the future, but EVOC Sports’ Commute Air Pro 18 is already promising a new degree of security for today's cyclists.
As soon as you snap closed the magnetic buckle on the otherwise ordinary-looking backpack, motion sensors keep track of every movement at a rate of 1,100 times per second. If the sensors detect a sharp change (like a crash), the airbag inflates around your upper torso in less than 0.2 seconds. Of course, such safety comes at a price. When the backpack becomes available, probably in spring 2022, it will be priced at around $1,000 USD, according to reports.
Pedaling safely:
- In the United States alone in 2015, 467,000 people (including both adults and children) were injured in bicycle-related accidents.
- Wearing a helmet decreases the risk of a head injury in a bike accident by at least 45 percent.
- U.S. states that have made helmets mandatory for children have seen a 15 percent drop in bike-related deaths.