By Evan Ackerman
Airbags are a good idea, and we need more of them. I’m imagining a car that gets completely covered in airbags in the event of an accident, turning it into a big squishy ball that may bounce around a little bit but otherwise completely protects the occupants and suffers no serious damage. This would have the added benefit of protecting whatever or whoever has been crashed into, as well.
Toyota is getting pretty close to my fantasy with a prototype car featuring 360 degree airbag protection. There are airbags in the front, back, sides, and even along the roof. Most impressive are the external airbags on the front and sides of the hood, which inflate during a frontal impact. The ones on top of the hood are specifically designed to protect the heads bicyclists and pedestrians, which is a nice touch that’s generally uncharacteristic of the automotive industry. This car is only a concept, of course, but I can’t conceive of any reason NOT to add more airbags to a car, especially if it makes running over bicyclists a little more comfortable for everyone involved.
Another pic, after the jump.
VIA [ technabob ]
