Toronto, Ontario — Most people can agree that wearing a seat belt in a car just makes sense safety-wise. Motorcycles, on the other hand, are a whole different story. Mainly because strapping yourself to a 500 pound piece of metal doesn’t necessarily scream safety.
However, one company has designed a mechanism that could disrupt the presently seat belt-less two-wheeled industry.
ItalDesign, an Italian design firm—founded by world-renowned designer Giorgetto Giugiaro who’s been a part of the design of original VW Golf and Lotus Esprit, and Ducati 860 GT—has filed a patent for a motorcycle seat belt.
What makes this seat belt different is rider’s are not strapped directly to the motorcycle, instead they are fastened to a backbone-like frame that’s attached to the bike with a quick-release mechanism, which can fully detach the rider from the bike.
The seat belt uses sensors to determine what type of accident is occurring and whether it’s safer to eject the rider from the harness or to keep them attached.
For instance, if you ran into a car straight-on, the sensors would recognize it is safer to keep you attached, rather than getting thrown into or over the vehicle. However, if you cut a corner too hard and low-side the bike the back would release and separate you from the machine.
Cycle World magazine says the mechanism may be more suited for scooters and touring bikes, rather than sport bikes— since the seat belt doesn’t allow for much movement.
Nonetheless, this technology could make more people feel comfortable riding a motorcycle and could potentially prevent many injuries and deaths. Although, it is unlikely that seasoned motorcycle riders would enjoy using a seatbelt.
