MotoGP: Airbags compulsory from 2018
Starting the 2018 season, it will be compulsory, in all classes within the FIM MotoGP World Championship, for riders' race suits to feature airbag systems. The suits with these airbag systems must be worn in every session, by every permanent rider, and must be functional on track at all times. Wildcard riders and replacement riders are exempt for the first two events that they are competing in, after which they will need to use suits that are of the same specification as hose of permanent riders.
The rules specify that the airbag should cover and protect at least the shoulders and the collarbone. Full, or central, back protection is meant to be optional. However should a manufacturer choose to offer back protection, it's meant to cover the whole spine. Changes are allowed, based on the specifications of each system, and the measurements of each rider.
The airbag systems are also meant to pass a series of tests to prove it complies with regulations. The areas in which the airbags are being tested include battery, electronics, deployment and inflation time, and the possibility of accidental deployment of the airbags (accidental deployment of the airbags must not cause a rider to crash or impair their ability to control their motorcycle). The airbags must also be triggered irrespective of whether the rider is on or off the motorcycle.
