A bonnet airbag that could greatly reduce road deaths has been developed by a UK-led team.
The new safety system deploys a u-shaped external airbag from underneath the bonnet that will not block the driver’s vision.
The extra space makes the front of the car softer and the airbag itself covers the lower part of the A pillars and windscreen.
Roger Hardy of Cranfield University who led the research for Japanese car safety manufacturer Takata-Petri, said the system would save lives.
“It would be relatively simple to bring to the market,” he added.
The system was tested on a Fiat Stilo and the team believes that it could reduce injuries by up to 50 per cent.
It is estimated that 646 pedestrians were killed on Britain’s roads in 2007.
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