Autoblog

Due to the continuing evolution of safety standards, high speed car-on-car impacts have made life better for everyone inside the cars. Now, even pedestrians get love from some car makers in the form of hoods that pop up when the car senses a pedestrian impact, so that the walker doesn't hit the engine block. Now, the Dutch Cycling Federation wants to know: what about us? The federation is asking for exterior airbags to protect cyclists in collisions with cars.

In a country where getting around by bike is the done thing, the federation estimates that external airbags on cars could save 60 cyclists and eliminate 1,500 serious injuries every year. The airbags they have in mind would be mounted on the hoods, which is where cyclists usually end up.

In case you're thinking "There's no way...", the Swedish company Autoliv Inc. has created an air bag that deploys from the A-pillars and extends over the hood to keep people from crashing down onto the engine block. It strikes us as a bit nutty to think that one day our cars could turn into giant bubbles to protect everyone everywhere in an accident, but hey, if it saves lives....

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

In 2004, 17-year-old Enaitz Iriondo was cycling after sunset near the town of Haro, in Spain. Spanish businessman Thomas Delgado, doing 100 MPH in his Audi A8, hit Iriondo, killing the teenager instantly. The Spanish court found both parties at fault: Iriondo for not wearing any reflective clothing in the dark nor a helmet, Delgado for doing triple-digit speeds. Delgado's insurance company then paid the Iriondo family €33,000 for the death of their son. Cased closed.

Well, not exactly. See, Delgado's car suffered €10,000 in damage, and Delgado spent another €6,000 on rental cars while his was being repaired. So in 2006 he sued Iriondo's parents for €20,000 for his expenses -- and, we guess, a little extra for pain and emotional suffering. His rationale, according to an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais: "I'm also a victim in all of this, you can't fix the lad's problems, but you can fix mine," and "It's the only way I have to claim my money back."

We don't know if we have the words to describe such an efficiently ruthless reasoning. For Iriondo's mother, Rosa Trinidad (pictured), "Before the lawsuit we thought the poor guy would find it hard to live the rest of his life with the thought of having caused our son's death. This was the final straw, a kick in the teeth." That will have to do for now. To say the least.

Thanks for the tip, Aki!

[Source: The Daily Mail]