An active hip protector system and method for hip fracture prevention are introduced in order to overcome the shortcomings of existing methods of preventing hip fractures namely: to provide effective impact protection and eliminate false fall alarms. The hip protector system comprises a belt-like pouch, worn over the users waist, containing airbags which are inflated to a large size ensuring that the users thighs will not hit the ground upon impact, once the system detects a fall. The pouch contains all of the necessary elements for fall detection and activating inflation of the airbags. Incorporation of distance measurement sensors and cross reference with acceleration and spatial orientation sensors enable reliable detection of impending collision with the ground. The pneumatic system, including the airbags, is carried within the pouch or, alternatively, can be placed in a location that is prone to falling.
