Features
MotoGP Riders Will Be Required to Wear Air Bag Suits in 2018
FIM and Dorna announced this week that beginning in the 2018 FIM MotoGP World Championship, it will be mandatory for all GP riders (Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP) to wear an approved airbag system within their leather racing suits. Wildcard riders are the only exceptions. Replacement riders’ suits are exempt from the rule for their first two races, after which they are subject to the same requirements and specifications as those of permanent entrants.
According to the announcement, the airbag should cover and protect at least the shoulders and the collarbone. While full or central back protection is optional, if a manufacturer chooses to have back protection, it must cover the whole spine, per the release.
Here is more from the announcement:
Each airbag system must pass a series of tests to prove it fully complies with the regulations. Requirements range from the battery and electronics to deployment and inflation times, with accidental deployment also an important factor. An accidental deployment of the airbag must not risk causing a rider to crash or impede a rider from controlling their motorcycle. In addition, airbag systems must not require any parts to be added to the motorcycle, and must be triggered without the rider being tethered to the bike.
Each manufacturer must self-certify on the official documentation for the suit that their system fully complies with the regulations and reaches these standards. They must also declare the reliability of their system based on internal testing.
Currently, there are two major players in the market—Dainese and Alpinestars—but there could be more soon, as Dainese has begun licensing its airbag technology to other brands.
This is a great step in making MotoGP safer, and the technology developed is sure to trickle down into the consumer market.