One of the oldest courier companies in the UK is teaming up with Hövding – the ‘world’s first airbag for cyclists’ – to make its employees ‘the best protected in London’.
‘Absolutely’ is rolling-out the product as part of efforts to further improve safety for its push-bike couriers when delivering across the Capital.
Wearing ‘Absolutely x Hövding’ cycling jerseys, the Absolutely couriers will trial the Hövding airbag for an initial three-month period.
With its couriers spending as many as 10 hours a day cycling around London, Absolutely says safety is a ‘clear priority’.
Through advanced sensors, Hövding can sense a cyclist’s movement patterns and then activate in the event of a collision. When activated, the airbag inflates, fixing the neck position and providing ‘the world’s best shock absorption’.
Hövding says the inflated airbag covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet and protects virtually all of the head, while leaving the field of vision clear.
The product was demonstrated to delegates at the London Road Safety Council’s centenary conference in January 2017.
Jeremy Thompson, managing director of Absolutely, said:
“We pride ourselves on our knowledge, experience and heritage as well as the safety of our people. Hövding is a good example of deploying technology in our business for the benefit of our cycle couriers and leading the way in London.
“We very much hope to see this world leading technology being deployed not only within our business but also throughout the UK to reduce injuries and fatalities.
“Ensuring our couriers have adequate protection is of paramount importance to us and following our partnership with Hövding, we intend to lead the field.”
Fredrik Carling, CEO of Hövding, said:
“Hövding is always looking for opportunities to partner up with other forward-thinking companies that encourage and promote cycling safety.
“Absolutely is a tremendous ambassador for our product and we are proud to be a part of an initiative that will improve the safety of hard-working couriers.
“Additionally, we hope that by having a successful partnership we can effectively introduce our product and drastically reduce the number of road deaths in the UK.”
14 August 2017