Reading around some interesting stuff about self-driving car.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=google-driverless-robot-car
http://www.physorg.com/news205947823.html

I was thinking that Google could develop something more legally and
wide acceptable before introducing a complete automated car.

For example in order to use and gain a massive amount of driving data
G could use the hardware and software created to monitor and make
decision to drive the car in a different way.
In my opinion this way could be big external airbags for car-car collisions.

The great problem of external airbags was the impossibility to foresee
a crash and its entity, but Google automated driving system does it
quite well.

– External airbags would be a great way to reduce injuries and deaths.
– There are no legal issues. You keep driving the car.
– Could be sold in many different versions: -side only protection to
complete 360 protection (number and position of airbags) – little
add-on for older car – car maker collaboration to sell built-in
system in new cars…
– And last but not least: Google would have millions and more cars
testing (internal simulation) G’s self-driving system and possibly
sending a huge amount of driving data from all over the world.

I think it could be a great deal and a step forward within the
self-driving car roadmap.
What do you think?