Coming in May: external airbag for Volvo's new V40 +VIDEO

QUOTE:
Volvo, the car company well known for the safety features on its
vehicles is introducing an integrated airbag into the bonnet of the
2013 model year V40 which goes into production in May with the aim of
giving more protection to pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a
collision.

Thomas Broberg, senior technical advisor at Volvo, told The Engineer,
"We’re using airbag technology to have a cushioning effect on the
outside of the vehicle to try and protect pedestrians."

The external airbag, which was developed at Volvo’s own R&D facility
in Sweden, inflates in less than a second and is most effective,
according to Volvo, in collisions where the car is travelling between
12mph and 31mph. The airbag is deployed when sensors in the front
bumper detect contact between the car and a pedestrian or cyclist.

Upon impact, the windscreen end of the bonnet is released and raised
ten centimeters - 4" - by the inflating airbag, which covers the area
under the raised bonnet as well as approximately one-third of the
windscreen and the lower part of the A-pillars that support the
windscreen.

"Another reason for raising the bonnet is to create extra space
between the hood and the hard components in the engine-bay compartment
— basically creating more space to provide a cushioning effect," said
Broberg.

road.cc posted an article in March 2010 which described the origins of
the project; an initiative between a Swedish-American technology
company Autoliv, the Dutch safety research consultancy TNO Automotive,
the Netherlands’ Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management, The Fietresbond which is the Dutch cyclists’ union and an
insurance company, Achmea.

Volvo has also developed a collision-warning and auto-brake system,
which reduces the speed of the vehicle if a collision is unavoidable
while sounding an alarm to alert the driver.

The external airbag and collision-warning system introduced at the
same time could have an impact on pedestrian and cyclist casualty
rates. UK Department for Transport figures show that 5,605 pedestrians
and 2,771 cyclists were killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads
in 2010, with most fatalities occuring in incidents where the car was
travelling below 40mph.

The concept of external airbags has been around for several years but
taking the leap from concept to being put into production is
significant, Broberg told The Engineer
Of course, pedestrians and cyclists are likely to have mixed feelings
about this development. While applauding it at one level, campaigners
for pedestrian and cycling safety are likely to lament the emphasis on
passive safety while governments ignore the elephant in the room; that
the more drivers become immunised from their responsibilities, the
less likely they are to anticipate, consider and pay attention in the
way Highway Codes generally advise.

As one of the commenters, Nick Jakeman on The Engineer website story
has already put forward, "Systems such as this address the symptoms
rather than the cause of the problem. Nothing will change until we can
educate vehicle drivers that the safety of others should be their
prime concern and that the use of a vehicle is not a right but a
privilege with attendant responsibilities. The very use of the word
'accident' to describe a collision implies an abrogation of
responsibility and a failure to recognise an individuals
responsibility to others."

http://road.cc/content/news/54716-co...-new-v40-video

--
Simon Mason

QUOTE:
Volvo, the car company well known for the safety features on its
vehicles is introducing an integrated airbag into the bonnet of the
2013 model year V40 which goes into production in May with the aim of
giving more protection to pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a
collision.

Thomas Broberg, senior technical advisor at Volvo, told The Engineer,
"We’re using airbag technology to have a cushioning effect on the
outside of the vehicle to try and protect pedestrians."

The external airbag, which was developed at Volvo’s own R&D facility
in Sweden, inflates in less than a second and is most effective,
according to Volvo, in collisions where the car is travelling between
12mph and 31mph. The airbag is deployed when sensors in the front
bumper detect contact between the car and a pedestrian or cyclist.

.. . .


The concept of external airbags has been around for several years but
taking the leap from concept to being put into production is
significant, Broberg told The Engineer
Of course, pedestrians and cyclists are likely to have mixed feelings
about this development. While applauding it at one level, campaigners
for pedestrian and cycling safety are likely to lament the emphasis on
passive safety while governments ignore the elephant in the room; that
the more drivers become immunised from their responsibilities, the
less likely they are to anticipate, consider and pay attention in the
way Highway Codes generally advise.

As one of the commenters, Nick Jakeman on The Engineer website story
has already put forward, "Systems such as this address the symptoms
rather than the cause of the problem. Nothing will change until we can
educate vehicle drivers that the safety of others should be their
prime concern and that the use of a vehicle is not a right but a
privilege with attendant responsibilities. The very use of the word
'accident' to describe a collision implies an abrogation of
responsibility and a failure to recognise an individuals
responsibility to others."

http://road.cc/content/news/54716-co...irbag-volvos-n...

Everyone comes out ahead.

The same technology may, just may, also work keeping pedistrians and
cyclists from getting under large vehicles, maybe even making most
collisions nearly free of major injuries.


Bret Cahill

QUOTE:
Volvo, the car company well known for the safety features on its
vehicles is introducing an integrated airbag into the bonnet of the
2013 model year V40 which goes into production in May with the aim of
giving more protection to pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a
collision.

Thomas Broberg, senior technical advisor at Volvo, told The Engineer,
"We’re using airbag technology to have a cushioning effect on the
outside of the vehicle to try and protect pedestrians."

The external airbag, which was developed at Volvo’s own R&D facility
in Sweden, inflates in less than a second and is most effective,
according to Volvo, in collisions where the car is travelling between
12mph and 31mph. The airbag is deployed when sensors in the front
bumper detect contact between the car and a pedestrian or cyclist.

Upon impact, the windscreen end of the bonnet is released and raised
ten centimeters - 4" - by the inflating airbag, which covers the area
under the raised bonnet as well as approximately one-third of the
windscreen and the lower part of the A-pillars that support the
windscreen.

.. . . .

As one of the commenters, Nick Jakeman on The Engineer website story
has already put forward, "Systems such as this address the symptoms
rather than the cause of the problem. Nothing will change until we can
educate vehicle drivers that the safety of others should be their
prime concern and that the use of a vehicle is not a right but a
privilege with attendant responsibilities. The very use of the word
'accident' to describe a collision implies an abrogation of
responsibility and a failure to recognise an individuals
responsibility to others."

http://road.cc/content/news/54716-co...irbag-volvos-n...

It's surprising more hasn't been done before now on this matter. Low
hanging fruit all over the place in classical mechanics.


Bret Cahill

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--
Dave - Cyclists VOR. "Many people barely recognise the bicycle as a
legitimate mode of transport; it is either a toy for children or a
vehicle fit only for the poor and/or strange," Dave Horton - Lancaster
University

On Mar 15, 5:32*pm, Bret Cahill wrote:
QUOTE:
Volvo, the car company well known for the safety features on its
vehicles is introducing an integrated airbag into the bonnet of the
2013 model year V40 which goes into production in May with the aim of
giving more protection to pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a
collision.

Thomas Broberg, senior technical advisor at Volvo, told The Engineer,
"We’re using airbag technology to have a cushioning effect on the
outside of the vehicle to try and protect pedestrians."

The external airbag, which was developed at Volvo’s own R&D facility
in Sweden, inflates in less than a second and is most effective,
according to Volvo, in collisions where the car is travelling between
12mph and 31mph. The airbag is deployed when sensors in the front
bumper detect contact between the car and a pedestrian or cyclist.

Upon impact, the windscreen end of the bonnet is released and raised
ten centimeters - 4" - by the inflating airbag, which covers the area
under the raised bonnet as well as approximately one-third of the
windscreen and the lower part of the A-pillars that support the
windscreen.

. . . .

As one of the commenters, Nick Jakeman on The Engineer website story
has already put forward, "Systems such as this address the symptoms
rather than the cause of the problem. Nothing will change until we can
educate vehicle drivers that the safety of others should be their
prime concern and that the use of a vehicle is not a right but a
privilege with attendant responsibilities. The very use of the word
'accident' to describe a collision implies an abrogation of
responsibility and a failure to recognise an individuals
responsibility to others."

http://road.cc/content/news/54716-co...irbag-volvos-n...

It's surprising more hasn't been done before now on this matter. *Low
hanging fruit all over the place in classical mechanics.

Bret Cahill- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I would have thought that the technology in creating such a complex
system which can deploy an airbag quickly enough after detecting a
cyclist would be the reason why such a system has not been introduced
before now. Still, let's hope that Volvo are not the last motor
company to fit these.

--
Simon Mason

On Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:25:08 -0700 (PDT), Simon Mason
wrote:

QUOTE:

That's opposed to the Eternal Airbag often seen in the cycling groups?