It costs money to keep such airbags inflated and maintained.

It would be highly cost inefficient. Also how could they be manually inflated if eminent danger was near.

There is no way that these "air bags" would have enough structural integrity to support a collision with a car. I doubt they would even buffer the impact.

This is one of those unfortunate situations where the damage is mostly to property designed to take the hit. You have a comparatively low chance of death since you go careening into the concrete at an angle, rather than an accident occurring between things having significantly higher moments of inertia. The car crumples up.

And think about it. They're using the car itself as an absorber. Made of metal. Your airbag better be beefy as hell if it's going to do a darned thing.

Note well taken fellow thought provokers. In which case I would suggest a shock absorbing device like springs and pistons. My idea of an external shock absorbing device is not wholly original considering their use on the Mars landing. However I do see the downfall of an air inflated device being used against heavy metal...perhaps more "water barrels" is the solution.

Sky oz, You are on the wrong side of jungle. Leave this web site or you will be devoured by tigers. Think twice before entering an idea. People are hungry of ideas like yours, its their pass time food.

If an idea is badly conceived and thought out it is justifiably closely examined and properly criticized. Good ideas are immune to harsh criticism.

Harsh criticism was applied to many great thinkers, i.e.Galileo. Just because there are many who would criticize does not determine a bad idea. I expect critical thinkers to reply to help hammer out solutions...it just comes with the territory. Cost will always be an issue, no matter the solution. Saving lives (and property) just seems like a worthy endevour.

Nobody criticized Galileo's ideas. They criticized his non-conformity with the church's idiocies. And since the church had the power at the time Galileo suffered as did science.

Years ago the California state highway people examined various devices to reduce damage, etc, and they decided that the crushable steel guard rail was best. Every other system tended to cause the vehicle to bounce back into the traffic lane and involve other vehicles.

doesn't matter. air your ideas and if decent they can withstand public scrutiny. if they are before their time then that;s just tough. if you really believe it then stand by it proudly.