Do air vests really protect you during a fall?

[RAyers]

Only AFTER MotoGP developed the suits over 12 years, instrumenting all riders to measure impacts and fall data. At the same time it is FORBIDDEN to have the rider attached to the motorcycle using a lanyard, thus there are electronic sensors to initiate inflation (using nitrogen) IF the rider is separated from the bike. The other requirement is that the inflation system MUST be capable of inflating the parts twice as a rider can remount and continue in some cases.

The suits detect crashes prior to impact with built-in accelerometers, and a trio of gyroscopes. Dainese’s system also utilizes a GPS unit. These sensors constantly feed data to an in-suit CPU, communicating around 1,000 Hz. Multiple sensors works as a safeguard to prevent false deployments and to ensure deployments do occur when needed with a majority voting algorithm. If one accelerometer senses a crash and the others don’t, the system won’t deploy. Because this technology is so well refined, there are no recorded instances of either systems deploying falsely or failing to deploy when needed.

The GPS on the D-Air system is another important element as it allows the ECU to know how fast the bike is moving and whether or not to deploy based on speed. In fact it won’t deploy under 25-30 mph. The Tech-Air system uses an advanced algorithm instead of a GPS unit. The advanced software has logged two decades of crashes and can determine when a wreck is traumatic enough to necessitate deployment of the airbag. The Tech-Air system also goes into a stand-by mode while off the bike, assuming the rider is out of harm’s way.

In other words, this is an example of specific designed safety systems for a given crash profile. Unlike horses where folks are just buying something without real development or testing behind it. And there are lots of fail-safe aspects to MotoGP suits beyond airbags. Hence their $15k cost. This is not the same as the horse air vests being sold.

[BayAreaRider]

Just wanted to make you aware that motorcycle racing uses air vest. You stated in an earlier post that motorcycle racers don’t wear air vest.

[trubandloki]

@BayAreaRider

Just wanted to make you aware that motorcycle racing uses air vest. You stated in an earlier post that motorcycle racers don’t wear air vest.

It sounds like motorcycle racers use an air vest that can not be compared to the air vests we are talking about here.

[RND]

@trubandloki

It sounds like motorcycle racers use an air vest that can not be compared to the air vests we are talking about here.

It looks to me that they aren’t even vests at all - it’s an airbag system within the actual suit they wear. So yeah, not the same thing at all.

[skydy]

I read @Rayers as saying they weren’t popular, not that that they weren’t used and I can see why they aren’t popular for motorcycle racing at that price.

There are too many issues that separate equestrian sport from car or motorcycle safety equipment for there to be any comparisons between them.

The fact of the matter is that car and motorcycle racing have rigorous testing of safety equipment while equestrian sports have only two real options available, helmets and body protectors, both of which are required to meet ASTM standards.

Air vests are an expensive, untested, profit making venture being “tested” on the consumer.

If a hunter or jumper rider feels the need for more protection in the ring, the use of an ASTM body protector would be the wise choice. There is a reason they are required for the cross country phase of Eventing and in Thoroughbred racing.

[BayAreaRider]

I am not arguing that more testing needs to be done and that a unified safety standard be created.

But the argument that air vests are not tested enough would also apply to hard shell vests. The hard vests that are currently certified do not go through anymore of a rigorous testing. The current highest standard out there is probably from BETA. But their testing is no more than dropping the vest on to different shaped hard objects, of course in an “average” sized body.

Point Two ran their vests through the BETA Level 3 tests and passed. Would that make them safe? If all air vest could pass would you consider them safe since they pass the same tests as hard shell?

I don’t understand why there is such a anti-air vest sentiment out there. If you don’t believe they work then OK don’t buy them. But to try to scary others doesn’t make any sense.

[Janet]

@skydy

helmets and body protectors, both of which are required to meet ASTM standards.

In the US, body protectors are not required to meet ASTM (or any) standard.

[skydy]

That’s surprising, since the body protector is required. Is the rule enforced?

[Janet]

The rule says that a body protector is required, but the body protector does not have to meet any standard. A pet peeve of mine. Certain people, who have the power to block rule changes, prefer to use an uncertified body protector.

[skydy]

@BayAreaRider

I am not arguing that more testing needs to be done and that a unified safety standard be created.

But the argument that air vests are not tested enough would also apply to hard shell vests. The hard vests that are currently certified do not go through anymore of a rigorous testing. The current highest standard out there is probably from BETA. But their testing is no more than dropping the vest on to different shaped hard objects, of course in an “average” sized body.

Point Two ran their vests through the BETA Level 3 tests and passed. Would that make them safe? If all air vest could pass would you consider them safe since they pass the same tests as hard shell?

I don’t understand why there is such a anti-air vest sentiment out there. If you don’t believe they work then OK don’t buy them. But to try to scary others doesn’t make any sense.

The body protector is unlike the air vest in that it doesn’t inflate and thus have the potential to do more harm than good. The “anti-air vest sentiment” comes most often from people who understand that the design could easily exacerbate or even cause injuries.

I don’t believe that anyone is trying to scare people. They are stating the facts. Air vests were not properly tested before being marketed. There are issues with their design that are not present with body protectors.

[skydy]

My personal “fear” (which is more accurately described as a concern) regarding the effect of air vests is the possibility of pneumothorax, spleen, liver, or kidney damage caused by displaced rib fractures.

I can easily see someone going down with the horse as it falls, not separate enough from the horse to activate the vest, and breaking ribs either from the weight of the horse or contact with the ground.

When the lanyard has finally triggered the vest to inflate ,as it would as the horse either gets up from the ground or moves away enough on the ground, the rider having fractured ribs displaced into the lung or other organs by the sudden inflation of the vest, seems to me a distinct possibility.

Rayers has explained about burst fractures of the vertebrae, and the mechanisms that surround and contribute to that sort of injury, on a previous thread.

[OnDeck]

@kenyarider

My doctor was certain my neck was broken at the ER. X-rays showed differently. My friend broke her neck and was found unconscious and not breathing in the ring. The neck injury was caused by the fall. My neck was very sore but not broken BECAUSE the air vest stablized my neck. Is that scientific proof? It’s anecdotal but that’s how science works. They take incidents such as mine and then they set up an experimental test to see if the hypothesis is true or not. FYI, I didn’t claim scientifically that the air vest made the different, I just said that my neck was stablized by the air vest protections and that I did not suffer a broken neck. Science takes time. We still have people refusing to wear helmets on horses and motorcycles and wearing seatbelts in cars. But they will go through an X-ray machine at an airport to be “safe”. Go figure. Ds

What made the doctor think your neck was broken before the x-rays? Unless he was able to see a video I don’t see how you could contribute this to the air vest. I could just as easily say that without the vest your body and spine would have been able to move in such a way to disperse the forces acting on your neck and you wouldn’t have been in so much pain. We can’t know for sure how those forces are acting unless we test the vests in the lab with a crash dummy.

[trubandloki]

My only problem with air vests is people saying they do XYZ when there is no testing to show they do XYZ.
Like the poster here that used one friend breaking bones with no vest, and them not breaking bones with their air vest as proof that their air vest prevents broken bones.
Ignoring the fact that lots and lots and lots of people have probably fallen off in the same way, with no vest and no broken bones.

[awaywego]

Ugh. I saw a few people wearing air vests at a show last year and it was one of the few DH attended. He apparently took me quite seriously when I said I thought they seemed like a cool idea, so he bought me one for my birthday. Now all I read is how they may cause more problems than they prevent and every.single.time I leave to ride, DH says “wear your vest!” and I know he knows I don’t but I don’t have the heart to tell him that “on further research…” so it just sits in my tack box, still brand new…

My only question: I’ve seen a few comparisons to the requirements to wear a body protector on xc. Are hunter/jumper riders trying to protect themselves from the same type of falls that are the biggest concern on xc (ie, rotation)? Personally, I thought it looked like a good idea bc I tend to fall on a hip and DH made sure to get me the kind that comes down lower to protect the hip area. I guess I am lucky to not be a good enough rider to go “down with the horse” but rather the type of amateur to be flung from the horse on a good drop-the-shoulder spook.

disclaimer that won’t even begin to cover how wrong I am about everything: I know nothing about safety data, studies or research, have zero experience in studying falls and know that anyone can be injured or even die by just looking at a horse

[Highflyer1]

While rotational falls are the most likely to cause serious injury/death (and they do occur in the h/j rings as well) the vast majority of eventing falls, especially at the lower levels, are just straight up rider falls. It’s significantly rarer for the horse to fall and even then the majority of horse falls aren’t rotational. The traditional foam body protectors are of limited value in a true rotational fall (and the value of air vests is still very much unproven). But the foam ones do a great job protecting you against the more common unplanned dismount type falls, where there is still not a lot of proof for air vests.

[Peggy]

@awaywego

anyone can be injured or even die by just looking at a horse

At one point I managed shows for a local group whose national organization (ETI) had a release that said essentially this, but with more verbiage. One of the things I remember was noting horses’ possible reactions to insects that may crawl or fly upon the earth.

[StormyDay]

So this is not scientific at all. I agree wholeheartedly we need more research here.

But it seems to me an air vest when worn in a situation where rotational falls are very uncommon, but falling on top of hard wooden poles is, is probably going to be more helpful than harmful. The vast majority of falls in the H/J ring are going to be the horse separating from the rider. And in those instances I think an air vest could be helpful in preventing injury. If you are riding a horse who has a stop sometimes, or likes to play behind the jumps, it might make sense to wear an air vest because chances are, that’s where the horse is getting you off.
If you are out on a CC course, or racing, or even trail riding (horse trips and falls on you) I think it’s better to choose the regular vest. Because I too am concerned about rib displacement or other internal injuries resulting from the vest going off once a rider is already injured in a rotational fall.

So in essence, I think this vest was marketed to the wrong group. Those of us who stay firmly in the sandbox jumping our colorful sticks are probably a more suitable audience.

[IPEsq]

My worst falls have been where I did not separate from the horse. I’ve also seen the lanyards come detached while the rider is on course and the vests inflate. Thankfully, the horses didn’t seem to freak out about it but then that’s definitely some bulk the rider has to deal with. I think the idea is good but the technology isn’t really there yet. Everyone I know with a serious concern about their back (like has had back surgery), wears the hard body protectors.

[RAyers]

P2 was banned in Europe for false advertising when they were showing rotational falls claiming the riders walked away with no injuries as proof of their vest protective nature. A simple perusal of BHS records showed the riders had everything from broken necks to ribs to concussions. They were subsequently forbidden from selling in Europe and had to give the IP back to the original Helite.

There is published statistical evidence based on the FEI data that airvests result in a 1.7 times increase in severe and fatal injuries when deployed during a FEI XC competition. That is not scare mongering. That is a fact. There are legal actions against airvest manufacturers in the US already because they failed to operate resulting in severe injury.

As a safety officer for eventing I know the data collected on airvests. It is relevant and pertinent. They, in many cases, are no better than a standard protector.

[BayAreaRider]

I don’t think anyone is saying air vests are better than hard shell.

Well see now you are scare mongering. The “1.7 times increase…” is not caused by the air vest. The authors of the studies even said so themselves.

Major Study Questions Effectiveness of Equestrian Air Jackets

British Eventing found that air vest reduced severe chest injury in a rotational fall by 13%. From what I’ve read if a car safety feature reduced injury by 13% they would be recommended for use.

Exploring%20the%20effectiveness%20of%20air%20jackets%20FINAL.pdf

Again, it is an individual decision. Riding is a dangerous sport and everyone needs to figure out what is best for themselves.