Airbags in particular have cut driver and passenger deaths drastically. They have also reduced the number of serious crash-related injuries.
Existing inflatables are very good but not perfect and around the world manufacturers are busy coming up with improved airbags in order to maintain and improve their lifesaving benefits.
Mobis, a subsidiary of carmaker Hyundai, has developed the world's first panorama sunroof airbag system. It reduces injuries by preventing passengers from being thrown out of the car roof in a roll-over accident.
"It means we can protect the occupants from serious head injuries," says press spokesman Bernhard Voss.
When sensors detect a change in the turning angle of the vehicle due to a roll-over accident, the inflator deploys the airbag within a fraction of a second - in 0.08 seconds to be precise.
The cushion is built into the sunroof and inflated by gas. It covers the entire roof surface of the vehicle.
Hyundai said tests with dummies went well although there is no word on when the device might find its way into a production car.
The new centre airbag from Audi will be available in the flagship A8 limousine from this autumn, the Ingolstadt maker says. It was designed by German component manufacturer ZF based in Friedrichshafen.
The airbag unfolds from the upper inside of the seat backrest and prevents occupants from being knocked against each other in a crash. It also provides protection to the head and neck, both of which are very prone to trauma.
Expensive cars can have anything up to a dozen different airbags fitted, yet manufacturers still find gaps in the level of protection. The focus is now on serious person-to-person contact injuries and far-side occupant injuries.
Airbags on the outside of cars are another idea to save the lives of pedestrians and bicyclists although there has been little innovation in this field in recent years.
Volvo took the car world by surprise in 2012 when it introduced the five-door V40 with the world's first external airbags. The airbag deploys from a cavity at the base of the windscreen and extends upwards from the car's bonnet to reduce the impact in the event of a collision.
The advent of autonomous cars is a challenge for carmakers since the occupants of robot vehicles are freed of driving tasks and will tend to move around more inside during a journey. It cannot be taken for granted that all the occupants face forward and are restrained by seat belts.
"As long as we cannot guarantee accident-free traffic conditions, we will need airbags to in order to ensure safety", says Simon Horn from ZF. Human drivers are going to be around for a long time to come and safety systems still have their place.
Renault design chief Laurens van den Acker believes airbags will prove to be dispensable in the long-run. He predicts crash-proof world where autonomous cars are infallible.
