"We're going to be millionaires"

Thanks to Tom Guttry for bringing this brilliant little film (and this huge idea) to my attention.

Of course, the dynamics of motorcycle accidents are different than the dynamics of bicycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents happen at higher speeds, and as energy = mass x velocity squared, the energy dissipated in a motorcycle crash can easily be 10x the energy in a bicycle crash.

I'm definitely not suggesting this is an alternative to wearing a crash helmet for motorcyclists. Most of the people who ride helmet-less seem to be making a political statement of sorts, and they'd also reject this solution. I'm well aware that 'air bag' suits are already making inroads in racing applications.

That said, there are lots of places where scooterists -- especially female ones -- ride without helmets because they feel wearing a helmet will ruin their hair. This device would be a lot better than nothing at the relatively slow speeds scooters travel in urban settings.


The Invisible Bicycle Helmet | Fredrik Gertten from Focus Forward Films on Vimeo.

This is the kind of creative thinking we need to make it safe(r) to negotiate roads full of car drivers.