Driverless car ‘f lypaper’ to catch collision victims

DRIVERLESS cars of the future could come with sticky bonnets, designed to protect anyone unlucky enough to be hit by one.

Google has patented a design for a ‘human flypaper’ that glues pedestrians, cyclists or anyone else who has been knocked over to the front of the vehicle.

Stuck fast to the bonnet, they would not be thrown into the path of another car or onto the hard surface of the road.

The IT giant is one of the world leaders in driverless cars. It is claimed that by reducing human input on the roads, the number of crashes could be slashed by 95 per cent. In its patent application, Google admits accidents will still happen initially.

It states: ‘Safety mechanisms may become unnecessary as accident-avoidance technology is developed, but at present it is desirable to give vehicles pedestrian safety mechanisms.’

The patent application, which was approved in the US this week, goes on to explain: ‘The adhesive layer may operate in a manner similar to flypaper.’

It is thought the adhesive will be under an eggshell-type coating on the bonnet. This would shatter on impact, releasing the glue. The adhesive would then allow the person to be prised off ‘after a period of time’.

Driverless cars are being tested in the UK and the Government hopes they will be a common sight on the roads by 2020. Discussing Google’s patent, road safety expert Maxwell Cameron said: ‘If there’s a way of catching a pedestrian that’s a good thing.’