Airbags are one of the most advanced car safety technologies that have revolutionized the car industry in the recent years. These are flexible and inflatable cushions built into the car interiors mainly on the steering wheel or the dashboard designed in a way to rapidly expand in case of a car accident. Earlier these were only fitted on the steering wheel but with further advancements airbags are now also found on the door interior, roof, and under the car seat.
History
The history of airbags dates back to 1950s when John W Hetrick, a former naval engineer, came out with the concept of airbags. Later in 1960s Allen Breed introduced a crash sensing technology by inventing a reliable ball-in-tube crash sensor. This was believed to be the first electromechanical airbag in the automotive industry.
Ford Motors was the first car manufacturer to test the reliability and effectiveness of this new technology in 1971. Later on, General Motors, in 1973, made airbags available to general public. Further to that, many modifications were done by skilled engineers to create the most reliable airbags available in the present. Airbags made a quick and gentle move from the Western countries to India through luxury cars tagged to Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW. Gradually, the technology has also shifted to all the car segments in India.
Types
The basic types of airbags available in Indian car industry are frontal airbags and side impact airbags. There are others as well but those are categorized under the main categories defined below:
Frontal Airbags: These types are either fitted on the steering wheel or on the dashboard. Frontal airbags are deployed in just a span of few milliseconds making it a sure life saver in case of a frontal crash.
Side Airbags: These are fitted on the door trim, side of the car seats, and on the roof to protect injury to the chest, head and neck in case of a rear end collision or a rollover accident.
Working
Airbags works on a crash testing technology that enables the installed sensor to detect an accident. These sensors further send an electric current to a wire that heats up and charges the inflator. Charging of the inflator undergoes a chemical reaction to fill create gas and inflate the flexible cushions positioned on the steering wheel or the dash or rear compartment in case of side-impact airbags. As the gas expands and fully inflates the airbag it starts deflating, thereby cushioning the impact.
Functions
The primary function of
airbags is to reduce injuries in case of a car accident. This function follows laws of motion that states that all moving objects have speed and impetus.
With this law, airbags help protect the occupants in case of an accident when the moving car suddenly comes in contact with an outside force. This I because even if the car stops in such a case, the moving objects including the passengers within the car will keep on moving unless and until some powerful force is not applied to restrain the impact. Here, airbags help to restrain the impact. In short, this
car safety technology proves to be a perfect life saver.
