Bicycle mobility is constantly growing, especially in cities. More and more people choose to pedal every day to go to work, at school, or simply to move more sustainablely. But if on the one hand the bike is synonymous with freedom and respect for the environment, on the other The vulnerability of those who pedal remains highespecially in the middle of motorized traffic.
Despite awareness campaigns, cycle paths (often insufficient) and new rules of the highway code, accidents involving cyclists continue to increase. It is in this context that a technological novelty arrives that makes you discuss: Subaru presented an external airbag designed specifically to protect cyclists in case of impact with a car.
An airbag that opens on the car hood
The new technology was previewed during the Japan Mobility Show 2024 in Tokyo. It is an airbag that, in case of collision with a cyclist, swells in a few moments on the front of the vehiclecovering the hood, the headlights and the windshield. The goal is to reduce the direct impact on the cyclist’s body, often violently projected against these hard surfaces.
Unlike other similar systems tested in the past, this device It is designed exclusively for those who go by bikeand not for pedestrians. Subaru has in fact worked on a specific shock dynamic: cyclists travel at higher speeds than pedestrians and their high position on the saddle exposes them to more serious trauma in case of shock.
The external airbag, installed on a prototype of Subaru Foresteris activated by a network of sensors that detect the imminent danger and start swelling within milliseconds. The intent is avoid the most serious consequencessuch as cranial trauma or multiple fractures, which are among the main causes of death in these accidents.
More cyclists, more accidents
The fact that an automotive manufacturer has invested in the design of an airbag dedicated to cyclists is an important signal, but. Today cyclists have yet to deal with insufficient infrastructures, dangerous roads and often distracted motorists.
According to the most recent data, accidents involving bicycles are constantly increasingalso due to the growing use of the bike in urban areas. And while discussing how to encourage sustainable mobility, you often forget to really protect those who choose it every day.
Subaru said his goal is to contribute to Reduce the victims of the roadand this technology could be an extra piece. But the question remains: Will a airbag be enough to save cyclists or do you need a wider vision, which starts from a safer and more inclusive urban planning?
