Here Comes Volvo’s First Of Its Kind Pedestrian Airbag

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Pedestrians can take a sigh of relief if Volvo’s one of a kind pedestrian airbag becomes mainstream. The smart safety feature is an addition in Volvo’s latest V40 compact car. The commercial airbag will protect pedestrians in accidents by inflating across a third of the car’s windshield. The airbag mechanism is initiated when the bumper detects a collision with a pedestrian and raises the back of the car. The technology is a promising relief from fatalities in traffic accidents. Volvo’s latest safety additions to the V-range feature other state-of-the-art intelligent support systems.

The company is targeting eliminating pedestrian fatalities from lethal encounters with Volvo cars by the year 2020. The system can literally step in and intervene in critical situations. Thomas Broberg, senior safety advisor for Volvo, sees a future in which pedestrians will have a remarkable defense against injuries or death from traffic accidents. The technology comes with a pedestrian detection system for warning drivers when about to run into a pedestrian. The detection system emits a loud noise and a flashing light, giving the driver ample time to hit the brakes. Last year, Cohda Wireless developed a new smart technology that allows cars to talk to each other and avoid crashes using dedicated short-range communications technology.

For the Volvo technology, if the driver does not respond accordingly, the car automatically halts. Through a radar system, the car can detect a pedestrian in front and determine if they are likely to enter the vehicle’s path. The car can also automatically brake if a collision detection and warning system determines there is likelihood of a car crash. Volvo’s state-of-the- art vehicle intelligence systems are part of a rapidly evolving “intelligent car” design also undertaken by companies such as Google and Mercedes. In 2010, Toyota was forced to recall more than six million cars due to safety concerns.