From the article:
"The researchers also demonstrated a sensing system to determine when a crash is imminent, and an actuator that shoots out against the inside of a car door to make it more resistant to crumpling in on occupants. They also developed a model of a truck with a special front designed to prevent pedestrians who are hit from going under the vehicle. Crash victims are instead warded off to the truck’s side, where they are more likely to survive.As part of their contribution to testing methods and standards, the APROSYS consortium also worked on some aspects of human biomechanics. For example, the researchers studied how different bumper heights can affect damage to a leg on impact. The data and the leg model will add to the information available to testers assessing the front sections of cars, including the types of injuries sustained."
Even if an accident cannot be avoided with, say, car-to-car communication valuable information could be provided to enhance passive safety measures. I imagine knowing the mass, velocity, heading and type of vehicle that you are colliding with could be useful when deciding for example which airbags to fire and when.
