The automotive business is a competitive one, and car buyers are spoilt for choice. So, to entice them, automakers include all sorts of high-tech safety features into their cars to sweeten the deal. One safety feature that all modern cars have, regardless of make and model, is the airbag. Let me tell you how airbags work to save your life and the lives of other people.
What Airbag Is
An airbag is a safety feature consisting of a cushion and a flexible bag made of fabric. This bag is designed to inflate instantly during a collision and then immediately deflate. This action prevents injury by cushioning the car's occupants and absorbing the kinetic energy, protecting passengers from hitting the hard surfaces inside the vehicle. The mechanical parts that make that rapid inflate-deflate sequence possible include an impact sensor and an inflation module.
Who Makes Airbags
Several manufacturers specialise in producing automotive airbags for the global market. You may not realise it, but the car you drive probably has an airbag made by one of these international companies. They include the likes of American-Swedish manufacturer Autolive Inc and Korean company Hyundai Mobis (part of the Hyundai Motor Company).
Among them, the most famous (or infamous) one is Takata Corporation from Japan. You'll probably recognise this name because of the many scandals and recalls Takata airbags have caused.
Different Types of Airbags
Typically, we imagine airbags only being placed in the steering wheel to protect the driver. You may not know it, but many cars also have airbags in the dashboard for the front passenger seat. These front airbags are a standard feature in most vehicles.
As mentioned before, auto companies compete to provide the best safety to their buyers. Thanks to that competition, they've also invented other airbags types for various parts of the car.
Here are a few other types of airbags you can find in vehicles today.
Knee Airbags
Typically, the driver's airbag is deployed from within the steering wheel. However, there are also knee airbags on the market located under the steering wheel. Knee airbags first appeared in the 1996 Kia Sportage SUV and have become a standard feature ever since.
Knee airbags help to prevent injury to the legs during a car accident. Since it first appeared, it has eventually been made available for the front passenger as well. It deploys from somewhere around the glove compartment section of the dashboard.
Centre Airbags
Airbags have also been developed for the centre of the car. Initial designs of this airbag deployed from the rear centre seat. Later on, a front centre version was designed to come out from the driver's seat.
Wherever it deploys from, centre airbags have the same purpose: to protect vehicle occupants from secondary injuries to rear passengers. Secondary injuries usually happen as a result of the occupant being thrown against the inside parts of the car.
Centre airbags are relatively new, and they're starting to become a more common feature. In Australia, we'll be able to see them for the first time in a Toyota with the all-new Toyota Yaris. And as a matter of fact, both the 2021 Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max will be the first utes ever in Australia to have centre airbags right between the front seats!
Rear Curtain Airbags
Some vehicles also have rear curtain airbags. As the name suggests, these are deployed roughly at head-level from the side windows. Their purpose? To protect passengers from slamming their heads against the inside of the car during a collision.
Back in 2008, the 2008 Toyota iQ was the first to feature a production rear-curtain shield airbag to protect passengers in the back seat.
Pedestrian Airbags
As you can see, there are various types of airbags to protect each car passenger from several different angles. Now try and imagine an airbag designed for the exterior of the car!
That's right! Some cars have airbags that are meant to deploy outside of the vehicles. But who do they protect? Well, the name gives it away. They're designed to protect any pedestrian that are at risk of being hit by the car. Pedestrian airbags are typically deployed from around the car's A-pillars and edges of the bonnet. They deploy as soon as a collision happens, so those bags need to inflate rapidly before those exterior parts of the car strike the pedestrian.
The first to feature pedestrian airbags as a standard feature was the Volvo V40 in 2012. Later, the 2014 Land Rover Discovery also followed in its footsteps and included pedestrian airbags as well.
Other Kinds of Airbags
Cars aren't the only motor vehicles that have airbags. Even motorcycles do! They're rare, but some bikes like the Honda Gold Wing motorcycle in 2006 have airbags. On the Gold Wing, the airbag only deploys when the bike gets into a frontal collision. That's probably an excellent idea if you think about it!
How Airbags Work
This is the physics behind the airbag. When a speeding car crashes on another vehicle or a solid object, the impact forces the car to stop. The car’s momentum before the crash, however, will continue to propel the people inside the car. Only an opposing force can stop them from being thrown out but will also crush them and cause injury or death. That is, if the opposing force comes from a hard object, like the car’s parts or an oncoming vehicle or object.
Thus, came the idea of an opposing force that softens the blow, which is now what we recognise as the main function of an airbag. Aside from that, here's how airbags work: Instead of concentrating a fatal blow on the point of impact, airbags spread the force over a larger area of the body. And instead of stopping momentum instantly, the airbags reduce it to zero gradually.
Are Airbags Safe?
They are safe, but there are also associated with risks or faults. Since 2013, there have been countless recalls for thousands of vehicles from different manufacturers due to defective airbags. But what exactly counts as a faulty airbag? How does an airbag hurt or kill?
Remember: an airbag is supposed to inflate rapidly to cushion impact and then deflate afterwards. That's how airbags work ideally.
In the case of the faulty Takata airbags that were used in many car models, they posed a risk of not inflating properly. If the airbag inflated too hard, the airbag inflator's housing could rupture, causing an explosion that would send metal shards flying inside the cabin. This has happened several instances, resulting in injury and death, and has led to massive vehicle recalls.
Never Take a Recall for Granted
With all of that in mind, never take a vehicle recall for granted, especially if they're related to your airbags. Recalls are typically free, so set up an appointment and bring your car in as soon as possible. When the airbag indicator light stays on or flashes, head on to your dealer or mechanic to get your car airbag inspected and fixed. When replacing airbags, always refer to reliable brands and buy only from certified sellers.
Also, when buying a new car, make sure that you inquire about the number and types of airbags featured in the models you have shortlisted and include this factor when you’re deciding which one to buy.
By Ray Hasbollah