Watch: Airbag helmet inflates as cyclist puts on his jacket
True to the claim that the helmet will deploy at speed, this one went off as a man put on his coat in a shop
The Hövding Airbag helmet was released to much speculation earlier this year, with many questioning if it was the solution for those not wanting to wear a conventional bicycle helmet.
The Swedish company has highlighted the speed with which the helmet can deploy, meaning it would be out before any contact was made between the rider's head and the ground.
This speed has now been proven thanks to a mishap that was caught on CCTV and posted to Instagram.
https://instagram.com/p/23SL7Ln6hR/
Whether this is a prank or a genuine airbag incident isn't clear, but either way the man will have to fork out £99 for the crash replacement service.
Watch us put the Hövding Airbag to the test
Earlier this year we got our hands on a Hövding Airbag helmet and put it to the test on the streets of London.
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As our video shows, the helmet does deploy before the rider's head comes into contact with the road.
"Hövding should only be activated when you are cycling," said Anna Katarina Skogh,
Hövding's Marketing Director, in response to the jacket activated helmet.
"The cyclist in the film unfortunately had it activated also off the bike. His movements are related to movements your body does during an accident. Hence the inflation.
"The Hövding acted correctly, assuming the cyclist was on a bike given its activation. Shortly after the inflation we helped him with a replacement so he could continue enjoying the superior protection Hövding offers while cycling.
"When activated Hövding measures your movements 200 times per second and compares your movements with normal bike riding movements and movements your body will make in an accident.
"When you leave your bike you should always de-activate Hövding.
"We want to stress the importance of reading the manual before using your Hövding."
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Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly, producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.
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