Japan’s Toyoda Gosei Co. has developed a pedestrian protection airbag that will protect the pedestrian’s head when hit by a vehicle. Toyoda Gosei has developed various types of airbags that protect vehicle occupants; this will be Toyoda Gosei’s first airbag on the market that protects pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Among traffic accidents in Japan, the highest mortality rate is seen in those involving pedestrians. The main cause of death in these accidents is head injury. The pedestrian protection airbag covers the rigid parts of the vehicle, such as the front pillars, where the likelihood of fatal injury is the highest. The internal pressure is adjusted to the optimum level for each part of the vehicle covered, mitigating impacts to the head.
These airbags will be used on the Subaru Legacy Outback models for Japan, which have been released in October 2021.