Volvo offers first car with pedestrian airbags

Swedish car manufacturers Volvo has unveiled its new "pedestrian airbag," which pops up on the outside of the car to protect people who get struck.

The state-of-the-art airbag - which the automobile company just debuted at the Geneva Motor Show - is located right under the hood of the 2013 Volvo V40, the New York Post reported.

It pops out when the car crashes into a person while traveling at speeds between 12 and 30 mph.

That's the range in which many pedestrians are struck.

Designers said that the first-of-its-kind airbag cushions an area of the windshield that many car-crash victims slam into.

Seven sensors located on the front of the car determine if it has come into contact with a human leg before it deploys, according to Popular Mechanics.

Once it inflates - which is done in less than a second - the airbag raises the hood about 4 inches, which helps soften the impact on the pedestrian.

In addition to the airbag, the Volvo comes with an extra-sensitive detection system that applies brakes when a person steps in front of the car, the magazine reported.

The system - which kicks in if the driver doesn't brake fast enough - can stop the car when it's going up to 21 mph. It can also force the car to slow down at higher speeds.