Hyundai reveals new multi-collision airbag tech
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 22nd Jan 2019
HYUNDAI Motor Group (HMG) has announced it has developed what it claims to be the world’s first multi-collision airbag, which it plans to implement in future Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
The airbags have been developed for crash situations in which a secondary collision is involved such as trees, electrical posts or further vehicles.
Hyundai’s airbags work by detecting the position of the occupant in the cabin after an initial collision where the impact is insufficient to cause them to deploy, as the effectiveness of existing safety technology may be reduced when occupants are forced into unusual positions.
The airbags recalibrate the collision intensity required for airbag deployment, and are able to deploy faster upon a secondary impact, improving safety for passengers.
Hyundai collated data from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System – a division of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which found around 30 per cent of 56,000 vehicle accidents recorded from 2000 to 2012 involved multiple collisions.
Of the multi-collision data collected, 30.8 per cent involved cars crossing over the centre line, 13.5 per cent were caused by a sudden stop at highway toll gates, 8.0 per cent from median strip collisions and 4.0 per cent as a result of sideswiping or collisions with trees and electric poles.
HMG head of Chassis Technology Centre Taesoo Chi said the research into multi-collision airbags was ongoing.
“By improving airbag performance in multi-collision scenarios, we expect to significantly improve the safety of our drivers and passengers,” he said.
“We will continue our research on more diverse crash situations as part of our commitment to producing even safer vehicles that protect occupants and prevent injuries.”
HMG has analysed multi-collision crashes in a number of directions and scenarios to help improve performance and precision in secondary collisions.
It says the technology will be rolled out to future Hyundai and Kia vehicles, but is yet to give a timeline on when it may happen.
