A new car safety system would place airbags on the side of a car to prevent catastrophic injuries in the event of a side-on collision.
Developed by TRW Automotive, the airbags would deploy within 20 to 30 milliseconds, and be designed to prevent areas of the car's side from direct impacts.
The Daily Mail reports that TRW is working on radar and camera systems to detect the moment that the airbag needs to be triggered to get the most benefit. Norbert Kagerer, who is vice president of the company, said that side impacts still account for about 40% of all accidents.
ABOVE: The company has so far designed a number of potential concepts for the devices, which can be seen on its website along with some concept videos.
The Mail says the project is partially funded by the EU, and that similar concepts have been unveiled by companies including Volvo.
A video illustrating the benefits of similar concepts is above.