Volkswagen improves pedestrian safety with its new "Active Bonnet"

Pedestrian safety is an aspect to which not all manufacturers pay the attention it deserves. Most passive safety systems focus on protecting the vehicle’s occupants, probably because that is the buyer’s main concern, leaving what may happen to a pedestrian crossing their path in second place.

Some new vehicles, such as the updated Tesla Model 3 “Highland“, feature a bonnet that rises automatically if a collision with a pedestrian appears imminent. However, if this happens, the vehicle has to be taken to a workshop to return the bonnet to its original position, even if there was ultimately no significant damage to either the pedestrian or the vehicle.

Volkswagen takes it up a notch

The German manufacturer Volkswagen wants to go one step further in this area, and to that end has just demonstrated how its new Proactive Pedestrian Protection System works. The video below shows a unit of the ID.7 equipped with this system. When the vehicle detects that a pedestrian — in this case a dummy — is crossing its path, the emergency braking system activates to avoid the impact. But that’s not all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRmaFibNjfw

Just before the vehicle comes to a complete stop, the front bonnet rises. This mechanism is designed to offer some cushioning to the pedestrian’s head, thereby reducing the risk of serious injury. Although in this demonstration the vehicle managed to stop without touching the dummy, had there been contact, the raised bonnet would have provided some protection to the pedestrian’s head.

The main innovation introduced by Volkswagen compared with similar systems from other manufacturers is that, once the system has detected that the danger has passed, the ID.7’s bonnet is able to retract automatically to its original position, without the need to visit a workshop for this purpose.

Although this new “Active Bonnet” safety system is not yet available on the ID.7’s series production units, the German manufacturer has promised that they are working to integrate it in the near future. Other features of the Proactive Pedestrian Protection System are, however, already operational, such as the automatic tensioning of the seat belts, the closing of the windows and the activation of the hazard lights in the event of a possible accident.