Andrea Dovizioso shows us the airbag suit in action
Airbag leathers are now commonplace in most major motorcycle championships. But have you ever seen one being deployed?
UPDATE: Dovizioso found out first hand how the Alpinestars Tech-Air system in his leathers work in action when he suffered a heavy fall at the start of the 2019 British MotoGP at Silverstone. For the full story - including a look at the data which showed how much force went through the impact - CLICK HERE
Airbags in leathers are now commonplace in motorcycle racing - as long as ten years in MotoGP's case - and their contribution to the safety of motorsport over the years has been invaluable.
We've often seen the airbags deploy during accidents but whether it's the speed of it going off or the speed of the accident itself, it is easy to forget just how powerful - and important - they are keeping riders safe during the falls they will inevitably suffer in their careers.
So, to demonstrate this Ducati MotoGP man Andrea Dovizioso was the (talented) guinea pig used to show what happens when the airbag deploys without the catapult, tumble and impact of a crash.
It's a serious piece of kit that we doff our helmets towards each time it saves a trip to the hospital.
On the other hand, it's also really, really funny!
Testing the leather airbag outside the track with @alpinestars @redbullmotors @VanessaCarlotta #dovi04 #desmodovi #AD04 #missionwinnow #forzaducati #motogp #alpinestars #suomyhelmets #redbull #oldwildwest #biotekna #mondottica #DucatiEyewear pic.twitter.com/9mQuNEHt1b
— Andrea Dovizioso (@AndreaDovizioso) May 10, 2019
Dovizioso and Ducati will be back in action at the San Marino MotoGP event where he will look to get back to winning ways, even if his hopes of defeating Marc Marquez in the 2019 MotoGP title fight are probably over.
