Volvo Protecting Pedestrians with Airbags on Outside of New V40

12 years, 7 months ago - 12 March 2012, Autoblog
Volvo Protecting Pedestrians with Airbags on Outside of New V40
Above all else, Volvo is known in car circles as being the foremost innovator in technologies intended to improve the safety of its vehicles.

While we most often think of the safety of a car's internal occupants, it's important to remember than a two-ton weapon of mass destruction moving at highway speeds is also extremely dangerous to pedestrians outside the car.

In addition to a new Pedestrian Detection system, Volvo has introduced the world's first external airbags on its new five-door V40. Located at the base of the windshield, the airbag deploys from a cavity that expands upward from the rear of the car's hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

We like this solution to the strict European legislation for pedestrian safety, as it doesn't require significant changes to a car's overall styling while still helping to save lives. Check out a brief demonstration of the technology in a rendered video below, along with a related press release that covers all of the volvo V40's safety equipment.