Nissan has developed a new technology that should reduce the number of head injuries received by pedestrians who are involved in collisions with cars. The technology called the “pop-up engine hood” involves placing explosive actuators into the hood of the car. When the sensors in the front bumper detect a severe crash the charges in the hood go off causing the hood to pop-up several inches.
This mechanism in the hood can reduce head injury in a crash by creating a distance between the pedestrian’s head and the car’s engine and preventing impact. Not long ago strict pedestrian-car collision safety requirements were introduced in Europe. This meant that car designers had to make the front of their cars bigger in order to meet a regulation that required that the engine be a certain distance below the hood. This has resulted in the higher hood lines that can be seen in many vehicles.
Now with the pop-up engine hood technology car designers are given more freedom in creating the look of their vehicles, while ensuring that they meet global requirements for safety. Nissan will debut the pop-up engine hood in the Skyline coupe in Japan this fall .
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