Drivers in Columbus, Ohio, are familiar with the benefits of airbags in a vehicle. Modern cars and trucks are equipped with internal airbags for the driver and passengers as well as side airbags to lessen the chance of injury in a side-impact collision. Now, an airbag manufacturer believes that injuries can be further reduced through the use of external side airbags.
Perhaps taking a lesson from Mars landers, the manufacturer has developed a long, cylinder shaped airbag positioned under the doors of the vehicle. The current prototype has a length of approximately 6.5 feet to be adjusted based on the length of the wheelbase and passenger area. When deployed, the bag will inflate to 15 inches by 21 inches. The inflation time is similar to interior airbags at less than 20 milliseconds. The external airbag will act as a cushion against die impact collisions whether due to side-swipe accidents or T-bone collisions.
The maker intends to utilize current electronic collision avoidance system technologies to operate the external airbag. When a crash is imminent the bag will deploy. A sticking point in development of the new system is whether the airbag will mistakenly inflate when vehicles are close, but no collision takes place. According to the manufacturer’s research, its airbag can reduce the severity of injuries due to side-impact collisions by up to 40 percent.
New safety technologies are always encouraged and welcome additions to modern vehicles. However, the addition of safety features does not excuse a driver from operating the car or truck in a reasonably safe manner. Common rules of the road practices still apply to anyone operating a vehicle on a public road. For those injured due to the negligence of another driver, one of the first steps may be to enlist the services of an experienced personal injury attorney.
