Airbag safety: analysis of the Quartararo, Dovi crash

Motorcycle racing is a dangerous sport. However, Dorna Sports, FIM and IRTA work endlessly to make MotoGP™ as safe as possible and the huge crash involving Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) is a good example of how one aspect of safety – airbags fitted to riders’ leathers – is preventing riders from more serious injuries.

One racing leather supplier, Alpinestars, is used by both Quartararo and Dovizioso, and they released data from both of the riders’ impacts. Rookie sensation Quartararo was the first of the riders to go down, with the Frenchman’s ‘Tech-Air’ system fully deploying 60 milliseconds before the first impact he made with the asphalt.

As we then know, Dovizioso was left with nowhere to go as he collided with Quartararo’s stricken Yamaha. The Italian’s ‘Tech-Air’ didn’t deploy as soon as Dovi hit the Yamaha, but it did recognise when ‘DesmoDovi’ was about to come into contact with the ground, deploying 150 milliseconds before impact.

Airbag systems were made compulsory across all categories at the beginning of the 2018 season and even if it may not always prevent riders from picking up injuries, it – more than likely – saved Quartararo and Dovizioso from further injury. A fantastic piece of technology that makes going racing safer.