What Are Airbags in a Car and How Do They Work?

Airbags in a car are created to protect the driver and the passenger in the front seat in case of a car crash. These inflatable cushions are generally hidden in the front dashboard and steering wheel.

Back in the 1950s, an industrial engineer met with an accident, which made him realise cars need a piece of safety equipment. Since then, engineers have tried to figure out how to develop a "safety cushion assembly" for a car. Within a short period, its prototype got accepted, and the use of airbags in a car became popular.

In the simplest term, airbags are built-in cushions that get inflated when a car gets hit in the front. These have been incorporated into the automobiles to protect the vehicle's occupants.

Previously most cars had installed front airbags as a safety measure. Much later, car manufacturers started incorporating side airbags as well.

Both types of airbags have proved beneficial in saving people’s lives. As per some research, 29% of driver fatalities and 32% of front-seat passenger fatalities have been reduced after using frontal airbags. Side airbags have also reported a decrease in risk factors significantly.

Airbags in a vehicle are built in such sensors that can detect the severity of the impact. Only if the crash is severe, airbags would get triggered and get inflated within a second.

Some may wonder if there is an emergency brake, will these airbags get inflated. The answer to this question is no. They can get triggered only by forces more than 20Gs or 20 times the gravitational force.

Therefore, the airbag system in a car is dependent on an accelerometer. This sensor takes 12 to 20 milliseconds for the frontal airbag to come up and then takes around 60-65 milliseconds to get completely inflated.

Car manufacturers designed airbags in such a manner that it would not affect the outlook of the vehicle. However, it automatically gets inflated when a severe crash happens.

The major advantage of having airbags in a car is that it can save lives at times of severe accidents.

• When completely inflated, it provides support around the neck, head and spine.
• Lowering the impact of the force by restricting the distance between the car space and the passenger or driver.
• It also decreases the chance of victims' risk of getting ejected through the window.

Although airbags in cars do not claim the passenger inside a car will not get affected during a serious accident. Rather the injuries would not be fatal.

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Mainly there are five types of airbags in most cars.

1. Frontal Airbags: Built in steering and front dashboard.
2. Knee Airbags: Positioned in the lower area of the instrument panel for driver as well as the front-seat passenger safety.
3. Door Mounted Airbags: Built in the front doors of either side.
4. Seat Mounted Airbags: Located on the outboard side of the driver's seats, front and sometimes rear passenger side as well.
5. Roof Rail Airbags: Placed at back of the trim covering the roof rails.

In recent times there have been many innovations in the airbag systems. Some of the additional airbag types are as follows:

• Inflatable seat belts
• Far-side airbag
• Panoramic sunroof airbag
• Seat cushion airbag
• Rear seat airbag
• External hood airbag
• Flexible airbag seating system
• Precrash external side airbag system
• Motorcycle airbag
• Bicycle helmet airbag
• Cyclist vest airbag

There can be four basic reasons for the flashing of airbag warning lights.

1. Airbag backup battery is depleted
2. Fault in the sensors
3. Damage to the airbag clock spring
4. Wet airbag module damage