31 Airbag Facts That Can Save Your Life Must Read

Airbags are one of the most important safety measures in cars.Airbags are cushions of air that inflate in the event of an accident in order to protect the driver and passengers from injury. They are located inside the steering wheel, the dashboard, and in many other places in the car.When the car system detects a collision, it sets off airbags which deploy from their stations at high speed and fill up with gas. It is vital to wear a seatbelt when in a car because it not only protects you in an accident, but the sheer of force of the inflation of an airbag can also injure you if you are too close to it at the time of the accident. Seatbelts help to prevent passengers from crashing into hard surfaces as well as preventing them from being thrown from their seat in an accident. They also help to keep the passengers secure in their seats which prevents them from getting too close to the airbag, shielding them from the high impact. Nowadays, many cars have passenger airbags in the rear seat as well, designed to protect the backseat passengers from slamming into the front seat passengers.Safety-Related Facts About AirbagsThe speed at which an airbag deploys depends on the impact of a collision. Airbags will go off even if the passengers of the car are not wearing seatbelts, however it’s recommended that they do wear seatbelts at all times because the speed at which front and side airbags deploy is very fast.Airbags simply deploying can also cause serious injury if passengers are not wearing their seat belts. The typical speed of a vehicle at which an airbag deploys is between 10-16 mph (16-26 kph). The speed of deployment itself ranges from 100-220 mph (160-354 kph). The front airbag and side curtain airbag usually deploy at this speed, deploying quickly and deflating rapidly as well in order to provide freedom of movement and not suffocate the passengers.In high-end cars, car systems may be able to detect if a child safety seat or child is present in the passenger seat and turn the airbags off because airbags can cause serious injuries to children. To avoid this, it is recommended that all children below the age of 13 sit in the backseats, either properly seat-belted or secured in booster seats. An infant’s carrier should never be placed in the front seat of a car because the child will be too close to the inflating airbag and the force of an airbag inflating could seriously harm the child.Even though airbags help to shield passengers from the worst of the impact, they can cause injuries themselves. However, this does not mean that airbags are dangerous. The high speeds at which torso airbags and frontal airbags deploy are necessary to prevent injury, however, they may cause a few broken bones in the process. The sheer force of an airbag can also knock the air out of you, rendering you unconscious. However, as airbags only deploy in extreme circumstances, sustaining a few non-threatening injuries is better than sustaining life-threatening injuries. The only time when airbags can cause death is if a passenger is too close to the deploying airbag at the time of the collision. The speed of an airbag deploying can break necks due to the sheer force applied. It is important to always sit back in the passenger seat and wear a seat belt to be as safe as possible if there is an accident.Types Of Airbags In A CarThe main airbags of a car include one for the head and one for the torso, however there are many different types of airbags in newer models of cars and other passenger vehicles. Newer cars have more airbags that are located throughout the whole car.The most commonly found airbags in all car models are frontal airbags, which have been standard since the ’90s. The frontal airbag is located in the steering wheel for the driver and in the dashboard to protect the person sitting in the passenger seat. These airbags are designed to protect average adults in the event of frontal collisions. However, they cause injury to small children due to the force and speed at which airbags deploy. This is why it is advised for children under 13 to sit in the back seat rather than in the front. Dual front airbags have been compulsory in all cars, SUVs, light trucks, and vans in the USA since 1995.Besides frontal airbags, side airbags have newly been introduced to protect passengers from side-on collisions. They are located in between the passenger and the door and are mostly found in the front. However, higher-end cars have airbags in the back of the car too, protecting passengers in the rear seats. Curtain airbags can also be deployed from the roof to protect people’s heads. Side curtain airbags also help to prevent occupant ejection through the side windows in the case of a car accident. They will deploy whenever the car has been hit, from the front or behind. Ideally, airbags should deploy in both front as well as rear-end collisions.A center airbag is also present in some car models, which deploys from the back of the driver and passenger side seats in order to protect the rear passengers from bearing the impact of the collision. The front-center airbag, located between the armrest and the seat, prevents the side airbag from smashing drivers against their armrests, which can cause injury. The seat cushion airbag is designed to protect the passenger’s chest and abdomen and reduce the force of the collision on their body in the case of an accident. This is mostly for people sitting in the back seat.Knee airbags are another type of airbag which have been incorporated into all car models since the 2000s. The shattering of kneecaps is a common injury in a frontal-collision car accident. This is why companies decided to add smaller airbags for people in the driver and passenger seats, to protect their knees from slamming into the hard surface. These are located on the lower side of the dashboard. In 2006, an airbag for motorcyclists, called the motorcycle airbag, was invented as well. Motorcycle airbags deploy between the rider and the handles, which cushions their head to some extent in the case of a full-frontal collision.Another relatively new invention is the inflatable seatbelt. Though it does not really come under the classification of an airbag, it does help to reduce the impact of a collision on the passengers and driver by increasing the affected surface area. It can also help to soften the blow on the torso when the airbags deploy. It is recommended that airbags be at least 10 in (25 cm) wide to maximize the safety of the passengers.Quality Of Airbags In A CarAirbags are the most important safety feature in any car, so it makes sense that people want to know the exact quality of the airbag, as well as have the assurance that it will deploy in the event of a collision.Using the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of a car, people can check how dependable the airbags of the car model are by entering it into the car manufacturer’s website. All the information about the car model, as well as recalls based on any flaws in the airbag system, will be posted. It also shows the location of all the airbags in the car and how many there are so that you can be prepared in case of a collision. The number of airbags in a car depends on the model. You can switch off your airbags, however this is illegal and if approved can only be done by an authorized dealer or service shop.There is also an airbag icon located near the fuel gauge on the dashboard. If the light on this icon turns on, this means that there is a problem with the airbag deployment system and that the owner should get their car checked or serviced immediately. If it is off, this means that everything is working properly with the airbags.Life Savior Examples: AirbagAirbags are really important because they help to save lives in the event of collisions. Airbags have been programed to deploy within 0.03 seconds of detection of a collision by a car’s system. They help to shield the driver and passengers from banging their heads into the front glass plane, into any windows, or the hard surface of the dashboard.According to studies, the passenger seat and driver airbag systems reduce the fatalities rate of drivers by 29% and that of front-seat passengers by 32%. This is quite a lot! The side airbag is also very effective and helps provide head protection to both the driver and front-seat passenger, reducing the risk of death by 37% in the case of crashes on the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Airbags are one of the most important safety measures in cars.