Just over 20 years ago, neurosurgeon Dr Chris Leatt witnessed his friend and fellow rider die from a neck injury. Dr Leatt decided to find a solution to reduce neck injuries and three years later he sold his first neck brace and then formed his company LEATT which would go on to make body protection gear and then a full range of rider gear and more. Dr Leatt explains how a neck brace works to protect you and we discover in what applications the neck brace works best. And we also talk to Thierry Viardot, who’s in charge of safety and technical at the Dakar, about airbag vest requirements, how they ensure the airbag vests work well for rider safety and why optional neck braces can no longer be worn.