Active Bonnet

Pops Up For Pedestrian Protections

The Legend debuts Honda’s Pedestrian Protection Pop-up Bonnet System, which aims to increase safety for those outside the car.

If the car is involved in an accident with a pedestrian, an accelerometer in the front bumper, and a wheel speed sensor both feed information to the engines ECU which then triggers a pyrotechnic actuator under the bonnet. A plunger then lifts the bonnet by 100mm which creates clearance between the metalwork and the unyielding engine bay, to help reduce pedestrian head injuries.

Honda UK estimates that the Pop-up Bonnet System could reduce pedestrian casualties by around 10 per cent, with the number of seriously injured cut by around 5 per cent.