Swedish auto major Volvo has unveiled a new “pedestrian airbag,” which pops up on the outside of the car to protect people who get struck.
The new airbag -- which the automobile company debuted at this year’s Geneva Motor Show -- is located right under the hood of the car.
It pops out within a second when the car crashes into a person while travelling at speeds between 12 and 30 mph, the range in which many pedestrians are struck.
The designers of the airbag said that it cushions an area of the windshield that many car-crash victims slam into, the New York Post reported.
Seven sensors located on the front of the car determine if it has come into contact with a human leg before it deploys, according to Popular Mechanics.
Once it inflates the airbag raises the hood about four inches, which helps soften the impact on the pedestrian.
The car with the new airbag is currently being sold only in Australia, and there are no plans yet to bring it to the United States.
