With today’s cars being safer than ever for those riding inside — thanks to seat belts, airbags and a plethora or other digital safety devices — automakers are starting to turn their attention to those individuals outside the vehicle. Some vehicles already come equipped with pop-up hoods to protect pedestrians in a crash and future hybrids will likely have external speakers to warn those outside the vehicle of its presence. But if a Dutch cycling group gets its way, cars may soon come equipped with external airbags.
According to Automotive News, the Dutch Cycling Federation has released a study that shows external airbags could save 60 lives a year. Moreover, the airbags would prevent an additional 1,500 serious injuries a year.
“In the past, many measures have been taken to protect those sitting inside cars but hardly anything has been done to protect people outside cars,” the DCF said in a statement.
In 2006, 106 cyclists in the Netherlands died in vehicle-related crashes.
While the idea of external airbags seems a little out there, Sweden’s Autoliv Inc. — the world’s largest maker of seat belts and airbags — has already developed an external airbag that inflates from the base of a car windshield. If the technology proves viable and proves that it will save lives, it could very well become standard equipment on the cars of the future.
