The external airbag (bumper bag) improves sport utility vehicle (SUV) to passenger vehicle compatibility in side impact. An added benefit is that the bag also protects a pedestrian impacted by an SUV.

This system has been evaluated in computer simulations and real crash tests. The 1.5 meter airbag was mounted under the bumper of a Ford Explorer that was run head-on into the side of a Toyota Corolla at 48 Km/h (30 mph). The bag was deployed 80 milliseconds before the impact. The intrusions were significantly less at all measuring points with the bumper airbag. At the level of the head of an occupant, the reduction was as much as 40%. An added benefit indicated by the tests was that the time available to inflate the side airbags of the passenger car can be increased when the SUV is equipped with a bumper bag.

The new Bumper Airbag for SUVs can also enhance the protection for pedestrians, although not for the upper body but for the pedestrian’s legs since the bag is mounted below the bumper of an SUV. In the tests, the load to the lower legs of the pedestrian dummy was reduced by more than 50% to levels within the criteria set by the EuroNCAP rating agency in their pedestrian protection tests. Testing indicates that the risk for rib fractures and other severe or fatal injuries (AIS 3+) to the upper body can be reduced by approximately 38%. It can be assumed that the bumper bag can be even more efficient in reducing head injuries than the 38% in rib fractures and injuries to the lungs and the aorta.

See also ESV paper "Injury Mitigation in SUVs Pedestrian Impacts".