Drivers in Wisconsin who are concerned about driving safely may be interested to learn that the results from testing conducted by a company that manufactures external air bag may make occupants of vehicles safer. In fact, according to the company’s testing data, the use of its external air bags can lower the injury severity of occupants by as much as 40 percent.

The company’s external air bags deploy from the sides of vehicles and serve as extra crumple zones when impacts occur. The airbags can be likened to massive pillows that absorb some of the force sustained during side impact crashes.

One of the most significant challenges facing manufacturers of external air bags is making sure that the air bags deploy as they are supposed to. Vehicles that are equipped with the air bags will have to be able to determine when a crash is about to occur and be able to deploy the air bags a split second before impact.

There are already vehicles on the road that have predictive systems that take preparatory actions, such as real-time suspension adjustments or seat belt tightening, when an impact is looming. However, the deployment of an external air bag is much more complicated and extreme, and manufacturers want to avoid them deploying unnecessarily.

The manufacturer that released testing data for its external air bags believes that it can make its technology work as it should due to advances in radar, camera, lidar and ultrasonics technologies. These sensors can detect the environment around a vehicle and take certain steps to mitigate damage.

A personal injury attorney may advise clients who have sustained injuries in motor vehicle accidents about their legal options. Lawsuits may be filed against drivers whose negligent behavior, such as texting and driving, was a factor in vehicle accidents that caused victims to experience permanent disability and pain and suffering.