# External Airbag Systems ZF's New Technology Better Protects Motorists from Accidental Collisions By Justin Lam | Published 2018-12-05 | Autos Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/external-airbag References: [digitaltrends](https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/zf-external-side-airbag-reduces-severity-of-injuries-by-40-percent/#/2) & [press.zf](https://press.zf.com/site/press/en_de/microsites/press/list/release/release_50688.html) German auto-parts manufacturer [ZF](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/automotive-axle) recently developed new external airbags that aim to reduce the severity of injuries linked to traffic accidents. Developed for the sides of cars, the external airbag system deploys when a car gets t-boned and essentially turns the side of the vehicle into a crumple zone that absorbs the energy from an impact. The system hopes to keep both drivers in an accident safe and internal tests have already shown a reduction in the severity of injuries by up to 40 percent. Much like internal airbags, ZF's external airbags deploy in the same way and are made of the same fabric as regular airbags. These qualities are key to the airbag concept as it can be easily deployed into [existing manufacturing processes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lepas) and serviced in the same way. The airbags are however two to three times larger than standard internal offerings. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 24% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **External Airbag Systems:** The development of external airbag systems presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the automotive safety industry. - **Reducing Severity of Injuries:** The goal of reducing the severity of injuries in traffic accidents through the use of external airbag systems opens up new possibilities in the field of automotive safety. - **Integration Into Existing Manufacturing Processes:** The ability to easily integrate external airbag systems into existing manufacturing processes presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in automotive production. ### Who This Affects Most - **Automotive Safety:** The development of external airbag systems for cars creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in the automotive safety industry. - **Traffic Accident Prevention:** The use of external airbag systems to reduce the severity of injuries in traffic accidents presents disruptive innovation opportunities in the field of accident prevention. - **Automotive Manufacturing:** The integration of external airbag systems into existing manufacturing processes offers disruptive innovation opportunities for the automotive manufacturing industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Smart Airbag Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-airbag-platform.md) - [Airbag Cyclist Safety Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aerobag-system.md) - [Airbag-Deploying Travel Backpacks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stan-airbag.md) - [Safety-Precaution Wearable Airbags](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ydb-airbag.md) - [Automated Adaptation Safety Belts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multiadaptive-safety-belt.md) - [Rotating Vehicle Cabins](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/active-cockpit.md) - [Protective Airbag Jeans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mocycle.md) - [Autonomous Rear Safety Technologies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collision-prevention-system.md) - [Self-Inflating Bicycle Helmets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bumpair-20.md)