Protecting device for the neck

A neck brace comprising:

• a substantially rigid structure configured to be positioned around a neck of a user and to sit on a torso of the user, said structure leaving during normal wearing a natural gap between an upper surface of the structure and a lower rim of a helmet worn by the user;
• means for temporarily changing a shape of the neck brace comprising one or more inflatable chambers placed on a lower surface of the structure facing, when in use, the torso of the user, said one or more inflatable chambers configured to selectively expand under the structure so as to raise the structure from the torso of the user and move the structure from a first position to a second position;
• sensing means that detects an impact/danger condition;
• and
• a control unit that commands inflation of said one or more inflatable chambers when the impact/danger condition is detected, thereby raising the structure from the first position to the second position and reducing or eliminating the natural gap between the upper surface of the structure and the lower rim of the helmet, and creating a supplementary transmission path for compressive forces exerted upon the neck brace towards the user's torso,
• wherein the upper surface of the structure, suitable for being in contact with the lower rim of the helmet, is a rigid surface.