Next step in car - pedestrian safety. Google patents human flypaper for cars

[www.msn.com]

So once a pedestrian is hit, would you need dental floss to cut them free from the car?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNfBftMWNTo[/video]

I can just imagine what cars will look like after a day's driving.

Guess I should start investing in Velcro and Flypaper cleaners.

Before Dave got mean, angry and political.

but at one time there was talk of having cars fitted with an airbag at the front to in the event of an imminent impact with a person to inflate and thus reduce the chances of injury/death. The automakers rejected this -- as it would result in serious redesign of the front of cars and tend to make all cars look alike -- and at higher speeds -- above a walking speed of the and person probably be all that effective.

But as I read about ever increasing vehicle/pedestrian collisions and of course the increase in injuries/fatalities to the pedestrian -- in SF the number of pedestrians hit is skyrocketing (damn cell phones results in not only distracted drivers but distracted walkers and this is a fatal combination) and there is talk of "doing something about this", so the airbag hood/bumper thing will likely get resurrected or in the meantime cars will face increased restrictions in areas like downtown SF.

Seem like proximity sensors with auto braking would make more sense, especially the tech is already here.
Not only that, by preventing the actual collision, no repair to all parties involved would be needed.

but it has its problems.

One is someone outside of the car can control the car by presenting himself as a possible pedestrian about to be hit by the car. This can then cause the car to stop so now the driver and his passengers can be robbed or the car stolen. (However, I believe the market for hot self-driving cars will be very small.)

Once (if) self-driving cars become more common, have advanced beyond the lab/limited field testing stage to actually being sold, it will be interesting to see if robberies and and possibly accompanied by car hi-jackings become more common with these vehicles.

The self-driving car sends a signal of sorts the occupants are not all that aware of their surroundings have chosen to not be aware of their surroundings. An article in one of the UK papers detailed how one's walk sends a signal to the criminal element of one's vulnerabilty. Self driving cars will send the same signal.

Also, in some situations to look crazier and meaner than the perceived threat. A bunch of rubes getting off a bus at the Spanish Steps and heading for the nearby McDonald's should not be construed as a threat.

The new thinking is a car with a velcro-like surface on the hood to hold the pedestrian there.

Many are injured seriously by being thrown off the hood onto the ground..

Thsi works only a low to moderate speeds.