GM Patents Pedestrian Airbag System

General Motors Co. has received a U.S. patent for an external vehicle airbag system designed to help cushion pedestrians struck by a vehicle.

The airbags would be deployed from a fender-mounted "discrete door" at the base of the A-pillar. The patent describes several design and deployment technologies.

GM filed for the "fender-located pedestrian protection airbag" patent in 2014. The filing was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this month.

Volvo Car Corp. introduced the industry’s first pedestrian airbag system on the 2013 model V40 wagon. ZF Friedrichshafen AG also is developing external airbags to protect pedestrians.