Jun 10 2008Hood Airbags To Help Save Pedestrians?
Let's face it, getting hit by a car sucks unless the person driving is filthy rich and you don't get hurt but can fake a good neck or back injury. Well now Toyoda Gosei has begun the testing of hood and grill airbags to help protect people on foot. They're activated via some combination of camera and radar sensors and may or may not launch pedestrians even further than you would have been without them. Whether they make it to actual production awaits to be seen, but if you're regularly running over people I recommend rigging a mattress to your hood during the interim. Or you could, I don't know, STOP DRIVING ON THE FREAKING SIDEWALK.
One more picture of the car after the jump.
car hood airbags protect pedestrians from bad drivers [technabob]
Reader Comments
1. Jumpin_J - June 10, 2008 3:02 PM
Stop driving on the sidewalk? Now where's the fun in that?
2. SmokingGirl - June 10, 2008 3:06 PM
*sigh*
3. Uncle Eccoli - June 10, 2008 3:20 PM
I hit a guy a few years ago. The pictured airbags would not have prevented his fractured skull. I was told he survived, but I never found out for sure.
4. Freddy K - June 10, 2008 3:21 PM
Okay, I want to see the crash test dummy video footage. Talk about awesome.
5. Spanky - June 10, 2008 4:06 PM
Hey, can these things be deployed on command? I'd love to try them out the next time some freak tries to "wash my windshield" for me...
6. err.... - June 10, 2008 4:10 PM
finally...a way to lessen the guilt
7. The Imaginary Reviewer - June 10, 2008 4:51 PM
Wouldn't it just be easier to make entire cars out of airbags?
8. Sid - June 10, 2008 6:32 PM
#7, [quote]Wouldn't it just be easier to make entire cars out of airbags?[/quote]
THAT would be SO sweet
9. Meaty Urologist - June 10, 2008 6:54 PM
How will pedestrians ever learn if they don't crack a skull or two every now and again?
10. Momboelitist - June 11, 2008 10:34 AM
@7, see story on BMW fabric car.
Just add air!
11. pdrunk - June 11, 2008 1:37 PM
We wouldn't need hoodbags if people would just go under the car instead of over.
12. Rebek - August 1, 2008 3:20 AM
Wouldn't the pedestrian, just, you know, ricochet off the car and be propelled further forward? That's what I imagine happening when i see this.
13. igothitbyacartwice - August 20, 2008 9:17 PM
I've been hit by a car twice (neither time my fault, I swear), and IT HURT. But since I've recovered from the injuries and know what the pain is like, I'd be willing to test this out, so long as the driver stays under 20 mph or so.