Minnesota residents may be interested in learning more about the potential safety benefits of external airbags. Testing has shown that the technology, which is designed to protect against side-impact collisions, has the possibility of reducing passenger injury by up to 40 percent.
These statistics could be a driving force in making external airbags standard on automobiles in the future. However, there are a few hurdles that automobile manufacturers will need to overcome before external airbags are standard on all vehicles. One hurdle is the technology involved. Unlike standard airbags, which deploy a split second after a crash, external airbags need to deploy a split second before the crash. This means that the automobile will react based on the information it gets from sensors.
Many new vehicles come equipped with safety sensors that make adjustments to the seatbelts or the car’s suspension in the moments before a crash. Some of this same technology will likely play a role in the implementation of external airbags. Understandably, automobile manufacturers are interested in getting things right before adding this feature. One could imagine how frustrating it would be for drivers to deal with an airbag that mistakenly deploys.
Auto manufacturers are interested in seeing how advances in camera technology, radar, ultrasonics and lidar will play a role in making external airbags a reality. However, it may be a while before external airbags come to market.
When a person is a victim of an automobile accident, their life can change in a moment. A personal injury attorney can help a client seek compensation for the injuries or losses they have sustained. Legal counsel could review information gathered during investigations by law enforcement and others. They may also negotiate with insurance companies and represent their clients in court.
