'Airbag' bonnet minimises head injuries

Explosive devices in automotive safety have been around longer than you may think.

For years, seatbelt pre-tensioners have been reliant on pyro-technic charges to deploy. Everyone knows that airbags don't just deploy like some gentle, expanding pillow of soft, cuddly stuff -- TV advertising notwithstanding.

Now, Nissan is employing similar technology in their newest pedestrian safety feature, the pop-up bonnet -- or pop-up hood, if you're American.

Developed for the Skyline coupe, the new bonnet will be introduced to the Japanese domestic market later this year.

The system's sensors detect the vehicle's impact with a pedestrian. When the available data indicates that a 'ped' is going 'base over apex' and the projected hard landing point is square in the middle of the bonnet, the sensors trigger a pyro-technic charge that lifts the bonnet.

This effectively increases the space between the bonnet and the engine, so that when the pedestrian's head strikes the bonnet, there's more 'give' than would be the case if the bonnet remained hard up against the engine.

It will be interesting to see how the Skyline coupe fares in the next round of NCAP testing and if it earns an extra 'star'. If it does, will that technology then trickle down to other Nissan models? You better believe it.

To comment on this article click here