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Airbag jackets 'could save lives
Motorbike insurance customers could find that wearing airbag jackets make them safer during journeys.
Doctors speaking to the BBC have said that if made compulsory, the jackets - which attach to the bike via a lead and inflate in the event of a crash - could save lives.
Andy Parfitt, a doctor at London's St Thomas' Hospital's accident and emergency unit, told the news provider: "There's no question that what the jackets do afford is [that] they protect a motorcyclist's vital organs, neck and spine over and above the level that a normal jacket would do."
He added that the number of deaths of bikers is "shocking" and said that the jackets could help reduce fatalities.
The BBC gave one of the jackets - sold by Point Two - to stuntman Rob Hunt to try out.
Mr Hunt, who has been performing stunts for 12 years, commented that his ribs felt protected and the garment helped reduce the bounce incurred during a fall from a bike.
"I think it's the bounce when you're crashing at speed that hurts you," he added.
Police forces across the country are currently aiming to increase motorcyclist safety on the road through an initiative called BikeSafe.
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