PICTURED right is the latest BMW safety development, a neck brace which is claimed to greatly reduce the risk of serious neck injury for riders.

Will it be taken up and become a success? Well, not so long ago riders took to the road without the reassuring feel of armour and Kevlar, so only time will tell.

From a purely personal point of view, considering I have what a specialist termed a stuffed neck' - or words close to that - I can definitely see the advantage of wearing one if I went off-roading or on a Long Way Round' style of trip.

The Neck Brace System - made from a mix of carbon fibre, Kevlar and fibre-glass for supreme strength - fits comfortably between a rider's shoulders and helmet and has been designed to provide optimum protection for the spine.

To make it comfortable to wear, a soft, impact-absorbing and skin-friendly' foam layer sits between the hardened outer casing and the rider.

For practical use it's been designed to slip easily on around the neck, like a collar, with two quick action fasteners at the side - these also allow simple handling and easy adjustment.

The system comes with some impressive credentials. It was developed by BMW Motorrad in conjunction with South African physician Dr Chris Leatt and his team of accident researchers, bio-mechanics and accident surgeons.

Protection is provided through a restraining effect should the rider's head move excessively forwards, backwards, or to the sides, while the rider retains all the freedom of move-ment needed for riding.

Any risk of over-stretching' the neck in any given direction is significantly reduced and injuries from forces coming down from the helmet on to the spine are absorbed by the ridged edging that surrounds the Neck Brace.

Conrad Parker, national aftersales manager for BMW Motorrad, said: "The system is a revolutionary move in terms of motorcycl-ing safety and is the biggest step forward for rider safety equipment since the introduction of body-armour, the back protector and full-face helmets."

Neck braces aren't new in motor sport, but aren't often seen on the road. Perhaps the extensive research and design that has gone into this system (priced at £325) will change that.