Car manufacturers, insurance companies, drivers and passengers are all interested in improving car safety and reducing occupant injury. This is one of the reasons why New Hampshire residents may be interested in learning about steps that auto manufacturers are taking in adding external air bags to vehicles.
The safety benefits that come from having internal airbags in vehicles have been well-documented. However, when traditional airbags were introduced to vehicles, there were some glitches that needed to be worked out. From time to time, airbags would activate without there being an automobile accident. Manufacturers are doing additional tests on external airbags to minimize the chances of this happening.
Traditional airbags activate when sensors in the vehicle indicate that there has been a crash. For external airbags to work, sensors will be required to identify a potential crash and then release the airbag a split second before the crash takes place. In order for this to work consistently, auto manufacturers will need to continue to improve on existing radar, lidar, ultrasonic and camera technology.
A number of vehicles already come equipped with predictive safety systems that make adjustments to the tightness of the car seat belts and the automobile’s suspension when a crash seems imminent. Since no one wants their external airbags going off when they are not needed, manufacturers will need to refine this technology.
External airbags are designed to deploy along the sides of the vehicle. The large airbags will serve as a cushion designed to lessen the impact from an oncoming vehicle. Studies show that external airbags could reduce occupant injury by up to 40 percent.
When a person is a victim of a motor vehicle accident, they may seek the assistance of a personal injury attorney. A personal injury attorney may work with their clients in reviewing evidence gathered by law enforcement, eyewitnesses, insurance companies and other sources with the goal of helping their client receive appropriate compensation.