Car airbags are literarily lifesavers! They’ve saved an estimated 2700 lives and over $20 billion since they were introduced in Australia in the early ‘90s, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. What’s more, that data is from 2009! Imagine how many more lives have been saved since then?
That’s why it’s important to have a car with airbags and ascertain that your car airbags are working. Since most cars today have at least one airbag, your task is simply to ensure that the devices are still fully functional, and that’s what you’re going to learn in this post. But first, we’ll begin from the top.
What Are Airbags?
An airbag, also referred to as a Supplementary Restraint System (SRS), is a safety device placed in a vehicle to reduce injuries and cushion the driver and passenger(s) from the impact of a collision. This nylon-like bag contains air. It inflates and blows out suddenly during a car accident and deflates as your head presses it. By the way, this airbag deflation is a safety precaution. If the bag didn't deflate, your head would bounce back off it, and the impact of the collision would be much worse for whoever is involved.
Without car airbags, both the driver and the passengers would suffer far more damage during accident situations. The human head is vulnerable during car crashes, and that's where airbags are particularly helpful in preventing brain damage, which is almost certain in many car accidents. Airbags are typically located at the steering wheels (for the driver) and the dashboard (for the passenger). Some cars, however, have them on the rear and sides too.
How Airbags Work
Intrigued about the working mechanism of airbags? Here's a summary of how they work.
When a car crashes, its speed reduces very rapidly. An accelerometer then detects the change in speed, and if the deceleration is substantial enough, the accelerometer triggers the airbag circuit. By the way, normal application of the brake doesn't generate enough force to trigger the airbag circuit. The deceleration would have to be much more rapid.
The airbag circuit sends electric current into a heating element. The heating element, in turn, ignites a chemical explosive. As the explosive incinerates, it causes a massive amount of safe gas (typically nitrogen or argon) to flow into a nylon bag packed at the back of the steering wheel. As the bag increases in size, it blasts the plastic shield off the steering wheel and blows up in front of the driver.
It’s important to note that car airbags are violently explosive and can be quite dangerous. The biggest risk is to young children, although adults also face risks of eye injury and hearing loss. But if an airbag saves your life, you’d probably consider a slight risk of injury a decent sacrifice.
Don’t scare away now.
Newer airbag models explode with less force than older designs, and facts establish that these new-generation airbags have reduced accidental deaths, especially among children, without compromising passenger safety.
Now, let’s talk about easy ways to ensure that your airbags are functional.
How to Check Your Car Airbags
You don’t want to assume that your airbags are working. You want to be sure. This is more vital when your vehicle is a second-hand car since they’ve usually had their airbags deployed in their first life. Sadly, dealers are not very eager to share this information unless you ask.
That’s why you should verify for yourself. Below are three tips for knowing if your airbags are working.
1. Use the airbag indicator light.
There's an airbag indicator light on the dashboard. To see it, simply turn your key to the pre-ignition stage. This stage is the indicator light test position. You should see the check engine light on, along with the airbag light. If these two indicator lights are not visible, then the lights might have been disconnected or faulty. Either way, you'd need to have it checked out.
Also, note that the airbag indicator light is designed to come on, stay on briefly and then go out. If the light remains on for longer than usual, there is probably an issue with the airbag system. And you'll need to take the car to a good mechanic.
2. Take notice when your dashboard seems oddly new.
If you purchase a second-hand vehicle and its dashboard appears newer than the rest of the car, it could be a telltale of deployed airbags. This is the rationale for that claim. When airbag deployment happens, both the driver and passenger side airbags will have deployed. Since the passenger side airbag is found inside the dashboard, an airbag deployment will break the dashboard open. Consequently, a dashboard replacement is required to put the car back on the road.
In such cases, you might notice that the SRS logo on the dashboard is missing. Such dashboards are cosmetic covers and have no airbags inside them. Keep in mind that instead of replacing a dash upon airbag deployment, the former car owner could also choose to repair it. So when buying a used car, inspect the dashboard. If the airbag has ever gone off, you should notice signs of repair on the dash.
3. Have a mechanic test it.
The only way to be completely sure your airbags are fully functional is to test them. Especially for used cars, it's always advisable to get that check done. A good mechanic can do the check without setting off the airbag.
You may also read this piece to give you more insights and life-saving reminders about car airbags.
Conclusion
If you wait till you’re in an accident situation before you find out that your airbags are not working, it would be too late then.
So I charge you to be proactive! Find out today or right away, if possible, whether or not your airbags are working. Surely, you find this post helpful, right? For more helpful tips on car maintenance, I invite you to visit our blog.
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You can do this by going to Carpart.com.au (You’re actually here already!), fill out this online request form, and press ‘send’. Then, just give the system some time to relay your request to our network of wreckers and sellers. In hours or minutes, you’ll start receiving quotes. Easy as pie! That saves you from countless calls and endless haggling. Request a part now!
By Damilare Olasinde