Now, scientists are...

Now, scientists are set to step up a gear again with the launch of several ideas for the future of airbag safety. Some vehicles already have as many as 10 bags on-board to protect against front and side impacts, but experts say there"s far more to come.

Development of the safety aid began back in 1966, when the US Government demanded protection for unbelted passengers. But it was Mercedes which made the technology more widely available, fitting it as standard to the 1979 S-Class.

"We"ve been involved in car safety from the beginning," said a Mercedes spokesman. "Airbags play a crucial role in occupant protection, and we"ll continue to invest in their development."

The German firm"s latest project is raising the standard again. It believes that in future on-board computers will be able to analyse the age, sex, height and weight of a passenger and tailor the protection offered. It is also working on technology that will trigger airbags before an accident.

Meanwhile, the new Toyota twin-chamber system, which features two separate cushions, spreads the force of the impact over a larger surface, reducing the pressure on any one area. Jaguar is also developing a new device called the Adaptive Restraint Technology System (ARTS).