Pedestrians remain the most vulnerable participants in road traffic, and their safety has become an increasingly critical concern. As traffic environments grow more complex, reducing pedestrian accident rates and injury severity has emerged as a key challenge in automotive safety. Autoliv, a global leader in automotive safety systems, is addressing this challenge through innovative pedestrian protection technologies.

Dual Approach: Active and Passive Protection Systems

Autoliv recognizes that traditional vehicle safety measures alone cannot adequately protect pedestrians. The company has developed a comprehensive protection system combining both active and passive technologies, designed to prevent collisions when possible and minimize injuries when accidents occur.

Passive Protection: Reducing Impact Severity

With extensive expertise in passive safety, Autoliv introduced the concept of external pedestrian protection airbags (PPA) as early as 2012. These airbags deploy instantly upon collision, covering the vehicle's A-pillars and portions of the windshield to cushion head impacts against hard structures, significantly reducing injury risks.

Autoliv's pedestrian airbags represent the largest external safety airbags currently available. Their unique energy-absorbing design minimizes direct contact between pedestrians' heads and rigid vehicle components, lowering the probability of severe injuries. This technology has been adopted by multiple automakers and proven effective in real-world conditions.

The company also developed active hood lift systems that create additional space between the hood and underlying engine components when sensors detect pedestrian impacts. This pyrotechnic system raises the hood's rear edge within milliseconds, providing crucial cushioning space that absorbs impact energy and reduces head trauma.

Active Safety: Preventing Collisions Before They Happen

• Pedestrian Detection with Automatic Emergency Braking (P-AEB): Utilizing cameras and radar sensors to monitor the vehicle's forward path, this system identifies pedestrians, assesses collision risks, and can automatically apply brakes if the driver fails to respond to warnings.
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA): By monitoring road markings and correcting unintentional lane departures, this technology helps prevent accidents caused by driver distraction or fatigue, indirectly protecting pedestrians.
• Blind Spot Detection (BSD): Radar sensors monitor areas outside the driver's immediate visibility, alerting when pedestrians or vehicles approach during lane changes.

Advancing Autonomous Vehicle Safety

As autonomous driving technology progresses, Autoliv has partnered with self-driving delivery vehicle manufacturer Nuro to adapt pedestrian protection systems for autonomous applications. This collaboration focuses on ensuring safe operation in complex urban environments while maximizing pedestrian protection.

Through this partnership, Autoliv has gained valuable experience in autonomous safety systems while further refining its pedestrian protection technologies. The company anticipates these systems will play an increasingly vital role as self-driving technology matures.

The Road Ahead: Building a Safer Mobility Ecosystem

Autoliv continues to prioritize safety innovation with plans to enhance pedestrian protection through:

• Advanced sensor technology for more accurate pedestrian detection and trajectory prediction
• Optimized braking systems for shorter stopping distances
• Smarter algorithms for improved risk assessment and response
• Comprehensive testing protocols to validate system reliability across real-world conditions

The company maintains that persistent innovation and cross-industry collaboration can significantly reduce pedestrian casualties. While technological solutions advance, Autoliv emphasizes that addressing pedestrian safety requires a multifaceted approach including public education, driver awareness, and improved infrastructure.