Why are airbags important?
"They kill more people than they save". You've probably heard this old adage applied to airbags many times before. But if that were true, then why are airbags such an important safety feature in modern automobiles?
Sheen Panel Service is dedicated to helping you stay safe and protected on the road. If you've had an accident that has damaged your vehicle, you owe it to yourself and your family to get quality panel beating before you get back behind the wheel.
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First off, statistics speak for themselves. Airbags are a key lifesaver in high-speed collisions — typically the deadliest events on our roads. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), Australia's leading car safety authority, has compiled extensive research into the efficacy of airbags in crashes.
- Cars with airbags have a 37% reduction in a car drivers risk of death in driver-side crashes.
- Fatality risk is reduced by 26% when side airbags were used to protect vital organs in the torso.
- Reduction in injury and fatalities by 51% to all body regions, 61% to the head, neck, face and thorax, and 53% to the head, neck and face.
Basically, airbags prevent injuries that would otherwise be catastrophic, often fatal. Read on to learn more about exactly how they work to keep you safe in the car and on the road.
How do airbags work in a crash?
Airbags work in a far more complex process than simply inflating to prevent injury. In simple terms, here is how the airbag circuit works:
- When a vehicle is involved in an accident, sensors pick up abrupt deceleration that is greater than normal braking deceleration.
- A signal is sent through the airbag circuit to a heating element, causing a small explosion.
- This explosion rapidly fills the nylon airbag with gas, expanding it to act as a cushion.
- The head and torso come into contact with the airbag. Due to this force, gas will begin escaping through small holes in the side of the airbag, deflating it.
- The airbag should be fully deflated when the car comes to a stop.
The deflating of the airbag is essential for safety. If the airbag was not to deflate, the body and torso would simply bounce off of it. That could lead to traumatic injuries including organ damage, internal bleed, and concussion.
What type of injuries do airbags prevent?
By quickly deploying and gradually deflating while the vehicle comes to a stop, airbags can prevent an array of catastrophic and life-altering injuries. These include injuries to the:
- Head and face. Your head typically comes into contact with the airbag first of all. This protects your face and eyes from broken glass from the windshield.
- Torso. Side airbags protect the torso, preventing damage to the ribs, organs, and soft tissue around the chest. Side airbags can also prevent spinal injuries and whiplash.
- Extremities. Airbags work to protect the arms and legs. The legs especially have very little room to move, and benefit from additional cushioning.
- Internal. Injuries to internal systems, like organ damage and internal bleeding, can arise in days following an accident. Airbags can help prevent the impacts that cause these problems.
Are my airbags safe?
As effective as airbags are, they are still prone to failure. In fact, tens of thousands of faulty Takata airbags were recently recalled after being installed in hundreds of different model of popular car brands. You can check the model of your car and what airbag it contains by visiting the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
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Airbag failure can result in broken bones, internal bleeding, and even death. It pays to ensure that your family is protected. We recommend getting your airbags checked at least once every two years by a qualified airbag specialist. There's really no point in understanding why and how airbags work if yours are completely faulty in the first place.
Sheen Panel Service is here to keep you on the road with expert panel beating. Keep your family safe by getting your airbag checked, and we'll keep your car in pristine condition.
FAQs
When a vehicle is involved in an accident, sensors pick up abrupt deceleration that is greater than normal braking deceleration. A signal is sent through the airbag circuit to a heating element, causing a small explosion. This explosion rapidly fills the nylon airbag with gas, expanding it to act as a cushion.
How do dashboard airbags work? ›
The instant a crash begins, sensors start to measure impact severity. If the crash is severe enough, the sensors signal inflators to fill the bags with gas in a fraction of a second. Airbags don't typically require maintenance unless they deploy in a crash.
How do airbags work in a crash? ›
An igniter in the inflator starts a chemical reaction that produces a harmless gas, which inflates the air bag within the blink of an eye – or less than 1/20th of a second.
How does an airbag work step by step? ›
Air bags inflate when a sensor detects a front-end crash severe enough to trigger their deployment. The sensor sends an electric signal to start a chemical reaction that inflates the air bag with harmless nitrogen gas. All this happens faster than the blink of an eye.
How does airbag control unit work? ›
The airbag control unit detects and evaluates the severity of an accident and then triggers the appropriate restraint systems. Information is supplied to the unit by as many as six crash sensors. This includes acceleration sensors and a rotational speed sensor.
How fast does an airbag come out of the dashboard? ›
For a frontal airbag, usually 20–35 milliseconds, or about 1/50 to 1/30 of a second. A side airbag, usually about 10 milliseconds, or 1/100 of a second. A side ... The sensors that trigger the airbags can detect the crash virtually instantly.
How do you fix an airbag on a dashboard? ›
The quickest method for an airbag light reset is to turn off the ignition, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on. Do this, then take the car for a short test drive. If the light came on because of a sensor malfunction, this may fix it. The next step is to check your seatbelts.
What triggers the airbag to deploy? ›
During a collision, sensors in a vehicle equipped with airbags will trigger each one based on the forces exerted on the vehicle. If a frontal impact results in horizontal movement, the side-impact airbags can deploy.
At what speed do airbags open? ›
However, most airbags are programmed to deploy at different speeds depending on whether the occupants are belted or unbelted. For unbelted occupants, the airbag has a low-speed deployment, usually at speeds of around 10-12 miles per hour. For belted occupants, airbags deploy at speeds of 15-17 miles per hour.
Do all airbags deploy in a crash? ›
Frontal and side airbags should deploy in moderate to severe crashes. They may sometimes deploy during minor collisions, but they are not designed to activate in all crashes. Airbags should work in combination with seat belts to protect you during a crash.
Air bags do not deploy in the billowing cloud-like manner as seen in certain television advertisem*nts. As mentioned above, air bags explode at speeds of 200 MPH for 12 to 18 inches. This is a violent reaction, necessary to have the bag deployed and beginning to slowly deflate when the occupant contacts the bag.
What happens if an airbag is overinflated? ›
Airbag overinflates: In this scenario, the airbag deploys but with too much force. Instead of cushioning the driver's and/or passenger's head and neck, the airbag can cause whiplash-type traumatic brain injuries, neck injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
How does the air bag system operate during a crash? ›
When a vehicle is involved in an accident, sensors pick up abrupt deceleration that is greater than normal braking deceleration. A signal is sent through the airbag circuit to a heating element, causing a small explosion. This explosion rapidly fills the nylon airbag with gas, expanding it to act as a cushion.
What are the three main parts of the airbag system? ›
The airbag module contains both an inflator unit and the lightweight fabric airbag. The airbag system consists of three basic parts: (1) An airbag module, (2) crash sensors, and (3) a diagnostic unit. Some systems may also have an on/off switch, which allows the airbag to be deactivated.
How does airbag deploy from dashboard? ›
The 'solid plastic' of the dashboard has been made with 'weak points' in it, that tear open when the air-bag deploys. In effect the dash has a ''hidden door” in it that the air-bag comes out of. The same is true for the air-bag in the steering wheel, seats, side pillars, and so on.
Do airbags deploy with feet on dash? ›
Airbags deploy between 100 and 220 MPH and are engineered to reduce the risk of your upper body or head striking the interior of the vehicle during a crash. However, if your feet are resting on the dashboard, the strength of the airbag can significantly injure the hips, causing fully dislocated hips and broken bones.
Do dashboard covers interfere with airbags? ›
Dashboard covers are legally required to ensure they do not interfere with airbag operations. Poor quality mats – even those that you may think will upgrade the look of your car interior – are usually improperly constructed. To save money and give you a cheap product, the design will not meet the standards.
How does the airbag warning light work? ›
The airbag light will turn on briefly when you start and turn off the engine. If it stays on, there might be a problem that can keep your airbags from deploying. Some reasons why your service airbag light might be on include a bad airbag, faulty wiring, or a connector issue.
