Safety Technology: Air Bags

Airbags are a protective device for the driver and passengers.  Patented in 1953, they are designed to, in the event of a serious collision, cushion a driver’s head and body from the steering wheel and protect other vehicle occupants from injury caused by hard objects. Airbags can be found not only at the front, but also to the side of vehicle occupants. They are intended to act as a supplementary safety device in addition to a seat belt. It is very rare to find a mass market car without an airbag. The few exceptions include Lada in Russia who do not fit airbags as standard equipment on their cars.

The airbag mechanism is engineered to detect the difference between a severe crash and a minor bump. When an airbag deploys, it is engineered to inflate within 40 milliseconds.  Research suggests that airbags reduce the risk of dying in a direct frontal crash by about 30%.  Some new cars go far beyond having dual airbags to having six or even eight airbags. This technology has evoked some of the same controversy that surrounded seat-belt use in the early years and are therefore the subject of continuing government and industry research and tests.

Given the high speed and force of an airbag when it inflates, the following safety precautions are recommended:
•    wear seat belts at all times
•    move your seat back as far as possible while still reaching the pedals comfortably
•    slightly recline the back of your seat
•    tilt your steering wheel downward so that the airbag points toward your chest, instead of your head and neck
•    do not lean too close to the door, windows or pillars if you have side airbags
•    do not fit seat covers if air bags are located in the seats
•    never use rear-facing baby seats in seats with airbags
•    do not let passengers put their feet on the dashboard
•    read the handbook and follow its advice.

The Highway Code, Rule 101 explains that it is a rear-facing baby seat must not be fitted into a seat protected by an active frontal airbag.  Such a restraint put in the front seat of a vehicle places an infant's head close to the airbag, which can cause severe head injuries, or death if the airbag deploys. Some modern cars include a switch to disable the front passenger airbag in case a child-supporting seat is used there.  Drivers should ensure that children:
•    Children 12 and under should ride buckled up in a properly installed, age-appropriate car seat in the rear seat
•    Infants in rear-facing child seats (under one year old and weighing less than 20 pounds / 10 kg) should never ride in the front seat of a car that has a passenger-side airbag
•    If a child over one year old must ride in the front seat with a passenger-side airbag, the infant should be in a front-facing child safety seat, a booster seat or a properly fitting lap/shoulder belt, and the seat should be moved as far back as possible.